Remedy
by HamhaPHKFan
Summary: Against the wishes of others, Ratchet saves a life. Doing so, he becomes responsible for that life, and tries to cope with demons from his past coming back to make his world crumble down around him. Ratchet only wanted to save a life. He never wanted to believe that helping someone could cause such unfotunate events to occur.
1. Prologue

**AUTHORS NOTE: This takes place before the war. There are some OCs, but they aren't going to be the main focus of the plot; Ratchet is. There is NO CanonXOC in this story.**

* * *

Long ago, it was said that one small act of kindness could start a series of events that affected everyone in an immeasurable way.

That was millions of years ago, long before the Golden Age.

The history of Cybertron was no longer remembered by the planet's inhabitants. Cybertronians had no interest in knowing the past, as they felt there was no need to know what their ancestors had learned or experienced. What happened before was no concern of theirs. They believed they lived in a perfect world.

They were wrong.

* * *

A white and reddish-orange mech sat silently at a desk, his light blue optics scanning over a datapad intently. Every so often, he would jot some information down onto the datapad, listing important or relevant facts about the most recent event at the Protihex Medical Center.

He had to attend to many miners earlier that day, after a mining operation was met with disaster as most of the major tunnels and facilities beneath the surface of Cybertron collapsed. No one knew how the mines ended up destroyed. There was no way to prove that the collapse happened from natural causes, but there was also no evidence to suggest the event was intentional.

Though, the mech had to admit, he didn't really care either way. The amount of damaged Cybertronians that needed tending to had increased his workload spectacularly.

There was the sound of someone approaching, and the mech turned around to see a femme standing in the doorway. Her frame was a dark burgundy color, with traces of red. She was taller than most femmes, though she was still considerably shorter than almost any mech. Her optics were a dark blue, and they matched well with the ever present look of bravery on her face. After he saw who was there, the mech turned back to his work and the femme walked over to him, peeking over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

"... 'Most of the patients were relatively unharmed'?" The femme said, raising an optics ridge and smirking as she read the mech's datapad aloud. "Really? I'd assume severed Energon lines and detached limbs wouldn't be considered 'unharmed', Ratchet."

The mech, Ratchet, huffed in irritation, not even glancing up at the femme. "That's why I added 'relatively', Rooter. Their wounds weren't _nearly_ as bad as they should have been."

"That may be true," The femme, Rooter, replied, crossing her arms. "But you should be thankful for that, shouldn't you?"

Ratchet frowned, glaring at the datapad as he continued writing. Rooter liked using 'disasters' as 'lessons', for reasons Ratchet didn't understand.

Ratchet had known Rooter for a _very_ long time. Even though they were partners in the medical field, they never really stayed around each other long enough for someone to think that they even _knew _each other. They referred to themselves as friends, or acquaintances, depending on what they were doing at the time. Performing surgery on someone was _not_ a time they considered it appropriate to call each other 'friends'.

Ratchet shook his head. He was getting distracted. He was tired, and that was making him lose him focus. He let out an exasperated breath, then continued finishing up his report as Rooter looked down at him with barely noticeable concern in her optics, concern only a medic could express.

"You know, you should take a break." Rooter suggested with a shrug. "Too much stress can lead to overheating."

"Well,_ thank you for your concern_," Ratchet said, his voice laced with sarcasm. "I'm sure I would have _never_ figured that out on my _own_. It's not like I'm a _medic_ or anything."

Rooter rolled her optics. "You're not, _yet_. You're only an assistant. _My_ assistant. You still have a long way to go."

Ratchet grumbled something under his breath, scribbling a few more notes onto his datapad before setting it down. He didn't want to admit it, but he was _exhausted_. Repairing all of those miners had taken a lot out of him. With a quiet groan of resignation, Ratchet stood up and turned to face Rooter. It was only when they stood next to each other that someone could see how small Rooter really was.

"Go, it's alright," Rooter said, chuckling at Ratchet's reluctancy to do something for himself. "I'll finish up here. Go."

Ratchet's frown softened, though it remained on his face, and he grudgingly left the room. He was greeted by other medics as he walked down the hallway, occasionally acknowledging them with a curt nod. They didn't mind Ratchet's attitude as much as they did when they had first met him. They knew Ratchet wasn't the friendliest mech on Cybertron, but he was_ good _at what he did. There were many cases the other medics could not find a solution to, cases that Ratchet managed to solve. They didn't have a choice but to let him do his own thing. The Guilds of Cybertron chose for him to be a medic.

The Guilds of Cybertron were the ones who assigned Cybertronians to a specific Guild. Medics would go to a separate Guild than a miner, and they were taught how to do things that those of their respective Guild were supposed to do. The Guilds were only overpowered by the High Council, though they never really interfered with the Guilds' ruling. No one else could decide if Ratchet was a medic or not. Not even Ratchet himself.

Ratchet walked out of the main Medical area and into the Medical Quarters. Anyone who worked at the Medical facility had their own room in another sector of the building. After passing multiple doors, Ratchet finally reached his quarters, heading inside and taking a quick glance over everything there.

Even though Ratchet had lived there for a while, it looked like he had just arrived there for the first time. There was a desk on the other side of the room, with nothing on the top of it except for a datapad. There was a slab on the wall that could form into a window. Ratchet occasionally peered out of it to pass the time, but he usually kept it closed. Ratchet preferred privacy, and he was paranoid enough to think someone would actually come over and watch him through the window. Opposite of the desk, a berth was pushed against the side of the wall. The room was nothing special, as redecorating was never something Ratchet deemed important.

Ratchet grumbled, walking over to the berth and taking a seat. He sat there for a few kliks, thinking over the days events, before he gently laid down on the berth. He blinked a few times as the exhaustion was setting in before he closed his optics. He knew that powering down for a while would do him some good.

* * *

Ratchet snapped out of recharge at the sound of someone trying to uplink him. With a groan, he accepted, but he couldn't even get a word in before the caller spoke first. "_Ratchet? Ratchet are you there?_"

Ratchet paused taking a moment to recognize the voice. The speaker sounded frantic.

"Rooter?" Ratchet blinked, slowly sitting up. "What's wrong?"

"_I... I'm fine, just..._" There was a pause on the other end. "_... I need to see you as soon as possible. Can you meet me somewhere?"_

Ratchet frowned. "I'm close to the refueling station..."

"_Yes, meet me there,_" Rooter said, sounding quite out of breath. "_I need you to hurry, okay?_"

Ratchet nodded, even though he knew Rooter couldn't see. "I'll be right there."

Rooter had already dropped the uplink. Ratchet paused for a moment with an optic ridge raised, then pushed himself off of the berth and started heading to the requested location. Though he would never admit it, he was slightly concerned. That conversation was completely out of character for Rooter, who was normally so confident and 'straight to the point' when she spoke.

Ratchet tried thinking of various scenarios which would end up with Rooter becoming so upset, though he could come up with none, and he was so preoccupied by his thoughts that he didn't notice how close he was to the refueling station until he got there. His optics scanned the room, looking for any sign of Rooter, but when he couldn't spot her he took a seat on a nearby bench and waited.

As he waited, he glanced around the area again. A stockpile of Energon rested in the corner of the room, a few steps from where Ratchet was seated. There were many Cybertronians wandering around, most of them refueling on Energon, their lifeblood. Those who weren't had either already finished, or they hadn't started yet. It was oddly calm, almost _reassuring_.

"Ratchet!"

Ratchet turned around when he heard his name and saw Rooter heading over to him. Standing up, Ratchet greeted her with a small smile. "Rooter, I don't usually end up seeing you until later."

Rooter shook her head, her optics wide. "No, Ratchet, listen to me. This is _serious_."

Ratchet looked over Rooter, his smile disappearing when he noticed her nervous posture. Her hand was clenched shut and held tightly against her chest, as if she was trying to protect something. Ratchet frowned, concern clear in his voice. "Rooter, are you alright?"

"Ratchet, it was over by the _Well_. I don't know how it got out, but I-" Before Rooter could finish, their conversation was interrupted by an enraged yell coming from the Energon stockpile. Rooter and Ratchet looked over to the source of the yell, blinking at what they saw. Three Cybertronians were arguing, very loudly. Everyone's optics were glued to the scene before them.

A large, brown and gold colored Energon sorter named Oiltrack looked _extremely_ unimpressed. He was blocking the path of the two other mechs. One of the mechs was black and white, and was covered in dents and scratches similar to scars. He towered over Oiltrack, his back hunched slightly.

The other Cybertronian was a very young mech, young enough to still be considered a sparkling. He was grey, with some shades of purple around his joints. His frame was also scratched, and Ratchet almost immediately noticed that some of the wounds were bleeding. Ratchet wondered why they never came for medical treatment earlier.

The sparkling's blue eyes were almost red with fury. The other mech stood straighter, his arms swinging around wildly to express his anger. "And why the Pit _not_?"

"Because," Oiltrack continued the conversation neither Ratchet nor anyone else heard the beginning of. "The Miner stockpile is to be used over the course of the Orn. Running out after only one Orbital Cycle is no concern of ours."

"The mine _collapsed_!" The larger mech growled, pointing to the sparkling standing next to him, just to show that he wasn't the only one affected by the event. "Most of the Energon exploded during the cave in! We don't have enough left to last a Breem!"

"As I said before, that is no concern of ours." Oiltrack said, crossing his arms and locking his legs into a defensive position to prove that there was _no way_ he was going to let the miners through. "This is the Medical stockpile. You'll have to wait until the next Orn for another delivery of Energon."

"Unbelievable..." Rooter whispered, glaring at Oiltrack with such malice that it caused Ratchet to stare at her in surprise. Rooter was never one to get angry or upset. "That sparkling is _leaking_ right in front of him, and he won't even spare a _sliver_ of Energon."

Ratchet only nodded, keeping his own opinions to himself. The mech yelling at Oiltrack, Ratchet recognized him. The mech wasn't facing Ratchet, so he couldn't get a good look at his faceplate. The mech's voice was familiar as well, but Ratchet couldn't figure out who it belonged to. The mech was either reminding Ratchet of someone, or he was someone Ratchet hadn't seen in a long time.

Ratchet watched the two mechs argue back and forth before the miner growled, taking the sparkling by the arm and dragging him towards the exit. Before they left the building, the miner glared directly at Oiltrack. The miner roared in rage, his arm shifting into a gun. Ratchet stiffened, and everyone else gasped in alarm.

The only Cybertronians allowed to carry a weapon were those in the Gladitorial pits, and using them outside of the training hall or the arena was against the laws of the Guilds. The mech threatening Oiltrack was obviously not a Gladiator, as he was not equipped with proper Gladiatorial armor. How he managed to get his hands on a gun was anyones guess.

The miner smirked wickedly and fired at Oiltrack. Oiltrack managed to dodge the weapon, but the blast shot directly at the Energon cubes.

What transpired after that took place within the span of three seconds.

The entire stockpile of Energon exploded. Shards of metal imbedded themselves into Cybertronian frames. The roof collapsed. The lights went out. Ratchet and Rooter were blown back by the blast.

Ratchet didn't even feel it when he hit the ground.


	2. Chapter 1

It was very dark.

Ratchet fought to keep his optics online. His head was pounding in an effort to stay awake as he waited for his optics to adjust to the sudden lack of light, even though he was _certain_ there was a bright flash just a moment ago.

His vision was blurry. He saw many Cybertronians running back and forth through the darkness. Ratchet understood that there was no light, but he couldn't remember _why_. His audio receptors were slowly reactivating, and the first things he heard were shouts and screams of pain.

With a great deal of effort, Ratchet pushed himself into a kneeling position, wondering why he was so weak all of a sudden. He looked around, seeing many offline frames scattered all over the ground. Medics were rushing back and forth, trying to help anyone who was injured, but still alive. One medic ran towards Ratchet, hoisting him to his feet and scanning him for any damage.

Ratchet remembered that medic. He had worked with him once before, when the Gladiatorial Area quickly got out of hand. Both Ratchet and the medic had to restrain one of the gladiators, who's Energon had been replaced with High Grade, causing him to go out of control and try to attack the audience.

The medic shook Ratchet's shoulders, returning him to the present. The medic stared Ratchet directly in the optics, his mouth moving before Ratchet even registered a voice. "-chet, _are you functional?_"

Ratchet blinked, assuming that some of his systems had yet to reactivate. "Motor...?"

The medic, Motor, let out a deep breath of frustrated relief. He rubbed a hand over his faceplate, before repeating his question. "Are you alright? Can you move?"

Ratchet nodded, looking around at the destruction around him, trying to figure out what could have caused such devastation. He remembered an argument, over a pile of Energon. The damaged needed Energon, but they weren't given any. They had a gun. They fired. Energon. Explosion. Rooter.

_Rooter_.

Ratchet's optics widened and he turned back to his fellow medic with concern clear in his voice. "Motor, have you seen Rooter?"

"No," Motor replied, glancing over the destruction with a frown. He turned back around. "Ratchet, if you're well enough, I need you to tend to the wounded."

Ratchet seemed hesitant to move, then his forearm shifted and a slab of metal moved aside to reveal a scanner. Motor nodded in satisfaction as Ratchet began walking to Cybertronians and scanning for injuries. The scanners blue light shone red as it ran over a nearby Cybertronian frame, signifying an extinguished spark. The corners of Ratchet's mouth twitched downwards, then he turned to another body. He completed another scan, with the same results.

So many were dead. Detached limbs were scattered everywhere. Most faceplates were twisted into expressions of pain and agony, if they weren't already shattered. Only few had gone out with a look of peace.

A few more medics drove up, spreading out to cover more ground. Two of them almost immediately found some survivors, and they quickly tried to repair major damage to their Energon lines. One medic gestured for Ratchet to search the other side of the room, as they felt they had everything under control.

Barely a moment after the medics excused Ratchet, one of the survivors offlined. Letting out a short grunt of frustration, the medic left and tried to help the other survivors, once again demanding that Ratchet left. Ratchet gave a nod of acknowledgement and went away, scanning over bodies as he walked to another area. The scanned glowed a continuous red, unable to detect any sign of life, and Ratchet continued frowning.

As he reached the end of the room, Ratchet noticed that it was considerably darker there, the only light coming from his own scanner and a large hole in the wall closest to the other medics. The explosion caused a lot of collateral damage, throwing Cybertronians to the other side of the room in its wake.

Ratchet's scanner came upon Oiltrack, who seemed to have been tossed away by the blast. Oiltrack's arm and head were both missing, though after a moment Ratchet spied them a few steps away from the chassis. A closer inspection of the head showed a gaping hole, revealing a severely fried processor. Ratchet wondered, rather darkly, if it was like that from before or after the explosion.

If Ratchet had any hope of repairing Oiltrack before, that hope was crushed when the rest of the processor zapped with electricity, burning itself out and leaking a sickly green liquid. Ratchet scowled as he left Oiltrack's remains, heading farther down the room as the scanner glowing a steady red briefly flashed blue.

Ratchet blinked, starting towards the direction the scanned detected life. The scanner stayed red as Ratchet held it over corpses, trying to find a survivor. He continued walking, staring forward as a familiar small and red figure slowly came into view. Ratchet paused in alarm before swiftly moving forward.

"Rooter!" Ratchet exclaimed as he knelt down next to his fellow medic, quickly scanning over her frame. He scanned again, even though he knew that the light was never going to glow blue around Rooter ever again. Ratchet wished that he was in shock, because the weight he felt in his spark was enough to leave him motionless before his comrade.

Even though he knew it was hopeless, Ratchet scanned Rooter again, the red light trailing up and down he chassis before it flickered blue. Ratchet froze. He stayed still for a moment before he began narrowing down where the light was changing. The scanner was focused on Rooter's arm, shifting between red and blue before remaining the latter when held over her hand. Ratchet grimaced, assuming that his scanner had been damaged from the explosion. He slowly reached forward, deciding to find the source of the possible life signal anyway.

Ratchet gently opened Rooter's hand, revealing a small, unborn spark that shone brightly in the darkness. Ratchet stared at the spark in a mixture of shock and awe. He had never seen a spark living without a frame or protoform to carry it. Ratchet couldn't understand how something that seemed so fragile could have lived for so long on its own.

Ratchet slowly reached forward, carefully picking up the spark as it flickered in uncertainty before regaining a steady glow. Ratchet held the spark close, limiting the amount of light visible in an attempt to hide it. Ratchet slowly stood up and walked over to Motor, wondering how his fellow medic would respond.

Motor glanced over at Ratchet, who was clutching his arm to his chest. Motor raised and optic ridge as he directed another medic towards a Cybertronian at risk of offlining. Ratchet stopped in front of Motor, waiting for the mech to finish what he was doing. Motor looked at Ratchet's arm with concern. "Are you injured?"

Ratchet shook his head. He paused, trying to think of a way to inform Motor of what he had found. After a few moments, Ratchet gestured with his free hand for Motor to follow him. Motor watched as Ratchet walked behind a large piece of debris, briefly wondering if the assistant medic had a few screws loose before he went after him.

Ratchet waited impatiently for Motor to join him. Once Motor reached him, Ratchet did not speak. He only held his clenched hand out, opening it just enough for light to shine through. Motor took a step back in surprise, his optics widening. "Is that...?"

Ratchet nodded, looking at the spark's light dancing along his frame. "An unborn spark."

Motor frowned, watching as Ratchet viewed the spark with interest. Motor glared at the light, disgust written on his features. It was wrong. An unborn spark was _wrong_. Sparks should _never_ leave the Well without being contained inside of a protoform. Motor transformed his hand into a saw, reaching towards the spark with his blades spinning.

Ratchet quickly snapped his hand shut and backed up, staring at Motor in shock. "What are you doing?!"

"It left the Well before it was ready, Ratchet," Motor explained, annoyed at the assistant medic naivety. "It will be a defective if it lives."

"Your _point_?" Ratchet growled, anger clear in his voice. He sounded insulted. "A life is still a life, even _you_ should know that! You're a _medic_, for Primus' sake!"

Motor noticed multiple pairs of optics glancing over at him and Ratchet. In an effort to calm Ratchet down, Motor gently placed a hand on Ratchet's shoulder, leading him away from the death and destruction.

After they got a good distance away from anyone who could hear them, Motor and Ratchet slowed their pace, aimlessly walking side by side. They remained silent for a while, Ratchet still unconsciously holding the spark close, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. Though, Motor assumed it was more of a medic's instinct than actual compassion. Motor grimaced, once again trying to reason with his fellow medic.

"Listen," Motor started, his tone forcibly softer than before. "I know it's alive, but it will only suffer once it gets a body."

"You don't know that," Ratchet argued, his voice low. "It could end up just fine, and you would have _murdered it_."

"_Slaggit_, Ratchet, don't you understand!?" Motor abruptly stopped, forcing Ratchet to face him. "Even the _High Council _tells us to extinguish unborn sparks! It has to die!"

Ratchet hesitated. He thought over what Motor had said. A moment passed, before Ratchet straightened his posture and glared directly into Motor's optics. "_No_."

Motor pinched the space between his optics in frustration. "It's not your _choice_!"

"Oh, and I assume it's _yours_?" Ratchet countered, looking absolutely livid.

Motor growled, trying not to let his anger get the best of him. He knew that Ratchet was, for a lack of a better term, '_young_'. At least, younger that most of the medics he worked with. The stress of his job had changed Ratchet's personality dramatically, and Motor could only wonder what any more tragedy would do to his fellow medic.

"No," Motor replied. "No, it's not. But it isn't yours either."

Ratchet's expression softened, though the action was barely noticeable. His grip on the spark loosened slightly, enough for it's light to be visible to both mechs. The spark continued glowing brightly, oblivious to the conflict taking place around it. Motor let out a slow breath of resignation.

"... You don't have a choice, but," Motor said quietly, unsure if he should tell. "... I know who does."

Ratchet blinked, listening intently, even though a frown remained on his faceplate.

"... The Guilds of Cybertron," Motor explained. " They decide what happens to everyone. Their the ones who made you a medic, remember?"

"I do," Ratchet responded, thinking of when he first came online. A group of Cybertronians had sent him to a Guild designed for medical training. He had tried his best, but...

Ratchet shook his head, clearing his thoughts. It wasn't the time or place for reviewing his past.

Motor continued. "You can ask to return the spark to the Well of All Sparks. They probably won't let you, though."

"Optimistic as ever, I see," Ratchet said sarcastically. He closed his hand again, the spark no longer visible.

"Ratchet," Motor had a serious look on his faceplate. "They might not even let you through the door, and extinguish that spark right then and there."

"I have to try," Ratchet said, holding the spark tighter. "I won't let anyone else die."

That explained it. Motor finally understood why Ratchet cared about the spark so much. Ratchet just lost someone. It was possible Ratchet felt guilty, though Motor couldn't understand why. There was no way that what happened to Rooter was even possibly Ratchet's fault. Ratchet found a living spark, someone he could save, and Ratchet was determined not to fail.

"The Well is somewhere beneath Protihex," Motor's voice went quiet, so no one else could here. "Since we're already here, you just need to go down an access tunnel."

Ratchet nodded, and Motor walked over to a wall. A screen opened up out of the wall, and Motor pressed a few buttons, causing the screen to flash blue. The wall began shifting, and large chunks of metal retracted simultaneously to reveal a passage way. Motor gestured for Ratchet to enter, and Ratchet responded with the tiniest hint of a smile before he went into the Cybertronian underground. Ratchet didn't even flinch as the door slammed shut behind him.

The passage was dark, dark enough that Ratchet could see the spark's light slipping between his fingers. It was unnervingly quiet the only sounds coming from the shifting metal inside the walls, and Ratchet's own steps. Ratchet didn't mind, though. He preferred silence. Ratchet continued forward, a slight glow from the other end of the tunnel used as his guide.

As he approached the other side of the passage, Ratchet mentally prepared himself for his confrontation with the Guilds of Cybertron. He knew he would have to watch what he said, as an insult to the Guilds would no doubt lead to the spark's destruction, or his own forced resignation and relocation.

When Ratchet reached the end of the tunnel, he saw a large guard standing in front of a huge doorway. The guard wore heavy armor, in case the Guilds were attacked, even though that event was more than unlikely.

The guard stared down at Ratchet, speaking with a deep voice. "Why are you down here?"

Ratchet didn't falter. "I need to speak with the Guilds of Cybertron."

The guard stood straighter, as always, prepared for an attack. "Why do you seek the Guilds' guidance?"

"A spark left the well before it was ready," Ratchet said, his hand opening so the guard could see he wasn't lying. "I want to discuss the spark's fate with those responsible for it."

The guard thought over the situation. The mech in front of his was definitely a medic, obviously not a threat to the Guilds. The spark itself, however, was _wrong_. Why anyone would want to discuss the life of a wrong spark, the guard didn't understand. The medic still held the wrong spark close, waiting for the guard to respond.

"What is you designation?" The guard asked, making sure the medic _was_ a medic, and not a rebel, even though there had never been a rebellion for millions and millions of Solar Cycles. Ratchet nodded, then spoke.

"My name is Ratchet," He replied, the spark still held out for the guard to see. "I have been assigned as an assistant medic at the Protihex Medical Center."

The guard stepped aside, only to access a nearby monitor, inserting the given information and starting a search. It only took a moment for every file that had any connection to Ratchet to appear on the screen. The guard apparently had unlimited access, immediately opening and going through Ratchet's personal file. When everything checked out, the guard pressed a few placed on the screen and the door slowly opened, creaking in protest from lack of use. The guard stood back, arms crossed while watching as the medic walked through.

Ratchet's optics quickly adjusted to the sudden change of lighting as he stepped into the huge, brightly lit room. Heads turned to the entrance and old, yet intelligent, blue optics looked over Ratchet, emotionless. Ratchet stopped in uncertainty, and one of the Guilds' members spoke up. "Step forward, medic Ratchet."

Ratchet briefly wondered how they knew who he was, then he internally scolded himself for such a stupid question. The Guilds of Cybertron had chosen his name and what he would do when he first came online. Acknowledging the Guild member's request, Ratchet took a few more steps before he ended up on a platform in the middle of the room.

"Why have you requested an audience with the Guilds of Cybertron?" Another member asked. Ratchet paused, knowing full well that he was horrible at communicating with others. He would have to think about what he said before he said it.

"... It is you who decides a Cybertronians fate, what will become of them after the rise from the Well of All Sparks and gain a form," Ratchet believed that was probably the most poetic thing he had ever said in his life, and he doubted he would ever say anything like that again, _ever_. If anyone spoke like that around him on a daily basis, he was sure he'd end up having a conniption fit.

None the less, he had the Guilds' attention, and he intended to keep it.

"I... have something here that concerns you," Ratchet slowly opened his hand, and the spark practically exploded with light, brighter than ever. The Guilds of Cybertron did not speak, only stared at what was in the medic's grasp.

The Guild member's voice was still as steady as before. "An unborn spark."

Ratchet nodded, watching the spark as he spoke. If Ratchet didn't know any better, he might have believed that the spark had been listening to him, latching onto his every word. "I do not know how it left the Well, or how it arrived on the surface, though I am certain that I disagree with the actions required after one escapes."

Ratchet looked up, his optics scanning over the crowd. He stood straighter before them.

"It is said that an unborn spark should be extinguished on sight, that they should never get the chance to experience life. This spark is already alive, just without a physical form," Ratchet continued, the spark glowing brighter with every word. "I only have one request."

Ratchet went silent, optics once again viewing the Guild members as they watched him and waited to see what he would do. Ratchet's tone was completely serious, and would have been laced with malice if he were speaking to anyone else.

"Let this spark _live_."

The Guilds of Cybertron were not pleased, to say the least. They had recommended, even _encouraged_, the immediate destruction of any unborn sparks that have left the Well of All Sparks before it was placed inside of a protoform. The negative affects of keeping one alive outweighed the good, and that was known best by Cybertronians with a medical background.

Yet, to the Guilds' surprise and confusion, a medic stood tall before them while holding an unborn spark as if it was the most precious thing on the planet.

"...Very well," One of the Guilds' members said in resignation. "The Guilds of Cybertron will honor your request."

Another member stepped forward, reaching out to reclaim the spark. Ratchet gave a victorious smirk. He was about to place the spark in the Guild members hand, before they suddenly stepped back.

"But," The Guild member continued, vocal tone dropping dangerously low. "If this spark becomes a defect, you will be held accountable. Is that understood?"

Ratchet frowned, evaluating the situation. It was rare to find an unborn spark, much less have one survive fir longer than a Cycle after onlining for the first time. Ratchet would be forced to take the blame if something went wrong. Ratchet briefly wondered if saving the spark was worth it, before internally scolding himself for even thinking that it wasn't. If Ratchet let the spark live, at least it would have a _chance_.

"... Yes," Ratchet answered, straightening his posture and speaking with complete certainty. "I understand."

The Guild member nodded, roughly swiping the spark away from Ratchet. Ratchet glared in return before the Guilds gave him a gesture of dismissal. Ratchet held back an angry remark, then spun around and stalked out of the chamber. He could not _believe_ that someone would treat a spark so _cruelly_.

He strode back through the tunnel, arriving at the main entrance faster than he had left it. He punched a code into the access panel, growling as the password failed multiple times before Ratchet kicked the door in frustration and it snapped open. Ratchet blinked in confusion before he dismissed the door's action as a glitch and walked out. Motor was no longer there. Ratchet hadn't expected him to be. Motor was probably assisting the other medics with the explosion victims.

Ratchet though back to the Guilds. That spark, if something went wrong, Ratchet would be blamed. There were no recorded documents of what should happen to an unborn spark after it gains a form. If that spark dies...

Ratchet wouldn't think about that. He started walking back to the Protihex Medical Center, planning on helping as many patients as he could before recharging for an Astro Cycle or two, something to get the spark's fate off of his mind.

He only hoped everything would be alright.


	3. Chapter 2

_Millions of Solar Cycles have passed, and with that, memories of the past have been lost._

* * *

"Arg! Doctor! Take it easy!"

"If you would stop _moving_, maybe it wouldn't hurt so much!"

The patient let out another harsh growl. His back arched in an involuntary attempt to move away from what was causing him pain, but he couldn't get very far, as the restraints around his arms and legs held him hostage.

An orange and white medic stood next to the patient, trying to pry out small shards of metal imbedded in his arm. The medic swore under his breath as he detected a leak in his patient's main Energon line, swiftly working to patch it up before the patient bled out.

After the leak was sealed, the medic continued removing the shards. The patient was a mechanic, mainly working in the Energon refinery. A stray sliver of raw Energon had lodged itself into a tool, which promptly exploded and hit the Cybertronian nearby. That Cybertronian was the mech on the operating table, restrained, because the first medic who tried to help him got punched in the face. Not many other medics opted to help him after that. Ratchet volunteered.

Ratchet had difficulty working on a patient that was constantly shifting their position. Ratchet grabbed onto the patient's shoulder, shoving it down to keep the arm still as he quickly reached out and yanked the remaining shards. The patient let out a pain-filled groan. "That fragging _hurt_!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have refused stasis!" Ratchet countered, wielding up his patient's limb before pressing a few buttons on a nearby console to unlock the restraints. The patient slowly sat up, flexing his arm with a wince. Ratchet picked up a datapad, looking over the information on it before speaking. "You'll be fine. Just don't use that arm for a while."

The patient grumbled something, heaving off of the operating table and walking out of the room without a second glance. Ratchet swiftly recorded the gist of the operation on the datapad before setting it down. After becoming a full-fledged medic, his workload had dramatically increased. Someone had asked if he required an assistant, but Ratchet believed he had it under control. It was just _draining_.

Ratchet walked out of the room, noting that the hallways were empty, again. The layout of the Protihex Medical Center had barely changed since he had first been stationed there. The only thing that changed was the other medics treatment of Ratchet. His attitude towards others had driven almost everyone away. Only a select few would even try to associate with him.

Someone was trying to uplink him. Ratchet paused momentarily before he accepted the call. "What do you _want_, Voltlock?"

"_Cheerful as ever, I see,_" Voltlock replied casually, as condescence from Ratchet was a common occurrence. "_I have a gladiator patient who's throwing a fit. Can you lend a hand?_"

Ratchet rolled his optics, not surprised that Voltlock managed to anger _another_ patient. "Where are you?"

"_Sector C, room four-_" Voltlock was cut off, and Ratchet could hear something crash. Before Ratchet could respond, he heard Voltlock curse loudly before ending the uplink. Ratchet let out a breath of exasperation as he walked down the halls, heading towards the requested area.

It didn't take long for Ratchet to find the room, as he could pick up the sound of Voltlock and the gladiator trading insults back and forth. Ratchet stepped in, nonchalantly ducking as a buzzsaw flew over his head. The gladiator sat defiantly on an operating table, apparently immobile, as in most cases a tantrum like that would lead to a patient being restrained. The gladiator was almost completely blue, with a few slabs of black metal. Voltlock stood farther back, arms crossed and a frustrated expression on his faceplate.

Voltlock was a dark yellow, with a few parts colored with a hint of orange. His optics were bright blue, and the anger in them quickly toned down when he saw who came into the room. Ratchet walked over to Voltlock, watching the gladiator as he spoke, clearly not impressed. "Alright, Voltlock. What's wrong _this time_?"

"Dislocated leg, got it in his last fight," Voltlock answered, glaring at the gladiator. "He tried to _hit me _when I went to pop his limb back into it's socket, but I'm nice enough not to hold a _grudge_."

The gladiator snorted, and Ratchet spoke up. "What do you need me to do?"

"_Fix him_," Voltlock replied, glancing at Ratchet with a mixture of seriousness and playfulness. "I'll restrain him, you do what you do best."

Voltlock went behind the gladiator, grabbing his shoulders to hold him back. Ratchet walked over, kneeling in front of the gladiator and switching his forearm into a scanner. It's light traveled over both legs, glowing blue for the right one, and red for the left. Ratchet's forearm switched back, and the medic reached forward to get a grip on the gladiator's left leg. Ratchet looked up at Voltlock, who nodded. Ratchet pushed onto the gladiator's leg, and the gladiator growled loudly as his leg was shoved back into place.

Ratchet watched Voltlock with an optic ridge raised. "You didn't turn off his pain receptors?"

"He wouldn't let me," Voltlock answered. "'Gladiatorial pride' or something."

Ratchet stood up and walked over to a table, taking something off of it before returning to his position beside the gladiator. Ratchet attached multiple slabs of metal onto the gladiator's leg. "Keep this brace on for an Orbital Cycle or two, and don't do any fighting until a medic clears you."

The gladiator rolled his optics, testing out his leg by standing up. He soon decided that he would put more weight on his right leg for a while, after he almost toppled over. He looked to both of the medics, then walked out of the room. Voltlock went next to Ratchet, chuckling. "'You didn't turn off his pain receptors'? I didn't know you_ cared_."

"You saw how he acted without it," Ratchet countered, crossing his arms. "He _threw a buzzsaw at my face_, and he tried to _attack you_."

"Hey, I offered, he just refused!" Voltlock smirked, raising his arms in mock-surrender. Even though it was hard to tell, Voltlock really did care about others, but if they decided to do something stupid, he thought that what happened after was their own fault and they should deal with it. The gladiator didn't want a sedative, he wanted to seem like he was tough when there was no one around to prove it to, and Voltlock believed that what the gladiator got was what was coming to him. Ratchet about to respond with an insult of some sort, but someone spoke first.

"Ratchet?" Said mech turned towards the door, where a small, femme medic peered around the corner. "Someone wishes to contact you at the main terminal."

"Who is it?" Ratchet asked, and Voltlock pretended not to listen, even though he was obviously eavesdropping.

"They won't say," The femme replied, shaking her head. "They want to speak with you right away. They said it's important."

Ratchet glanced over to Voltlock, who shrugged in false disinterest. Ratchet looked back to the femme, nodding thanks and dismissal as she walked away. Ratchet started heading out of the room, Voltlock following behind him. Voltlock smirked, his voice laced with mischief. "Oh, _Ratchet_! Do you have a mate that I don't know about?"

Ratchet snorted. "Hardly. It's probably just a request for medical assistance at the Gladiatorial Arena."

Voltlock chuckled again. "Whatever you say, Ratch'."

Ratchet rolled his optics as he and Voltlock entered another room, filled with tools and devices. It was darker there than in any of the other rooms, because the message system that the medics used required a lot of light, and would be almost impossible to see if there was any other powerful light source around it. In the center of the room, there was a large machine, seemingly lifeless. It was deactivated, as it was not in use. A small blinking light on it's side showed that someone was on the other end of the call.

Ratchet pressed a few sections on a console, the screen glowing green before flashing blue as it started the main terminal. The machine glowed, humming with power. A light above the terminal shone at a random pace before changing into a picture, a life size hologram of someone Ratchet recognized all too well.

"Medic Ratchet," The hologram spoke with a deep voice, and even as a picture made of light, towered over both Ratchet and Voltlock, the former blinking in surprise and the latter taking a step back in shock. They were in the presence of a member from the Guilds of Cybertron.

Voltlock stared. The Guilds of Cybertron _never_ made contact with anyone other than the Council. Unless Ratchet was secretly a Prime, there should have been _no reason _for them to contact him. Voltlock knew that Ratchet was only a medic, so he continued gaping at who was in front of him.

"You have been summoned to the Guilds of Cybertron," The Guild member continued. "There is a matter that must be discussed immediately."

Before Ratchet could reply, the hologram flickered into nothing and the terminal shut down. Voltlock stared where the hologram was, mouth agape, before his optics darted to Ratchet and he voiced his thoughts. "_What?_"

"They told me to go to the Guilds of Cybertron," Ratchet repeated, voice just above a whisper in his confusion. He didn't know why the Guilds would want to speak with him.

"No, no, _why_?" Voltlock restarted, still not getting a grip on himself. He pointed to the terminal, optics still wide. "Why would they call you down there, what did you _do_?"

"I don't know," Ratchet replied, honestly finding no reason why he should have to go there after the caste system was done with him. Most Cybertronians never saw the Guilds again after they were sorted. Voltlock apparently snapped out of his shock, shaking his head.

Voltlock watched as Ratchet hesitated before his fellow medic headed for the door. Voltlock stepped towards him. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"

Ratchet slowly turned back, staring at Voltlock incredulously. "..._What_?"

"Did you do something?" Voltlock elaborated, concern clear in his voice. "I won't tell anyone, don't worry. I can help you."

"You..." Ratchet started, but quickly stopped himself. The situation was becoming rather laughable to him. "No. No, I- No, I didn't do _anything_."

Voltlock looked like he wanted to say something, but instead stepped aside, letting Ratchet go on his way. Ratchet nodded farewell, exiting the room, leaving Voltlock wondering if Ratchet was hiding something important.

Ratchet walked down the hallways of the Medical Center, other medics who passed by paying him no heed. They knew Ratchet was good at what he did, but they didn't always approve of his methods. That was not to say Ratchet abused his patients. He treated them quite well, as long as they stayed on his good side. That went with everyone else as well.

Ratchet exited the building, taking a look around. Cybertronians wandered everywhere, some in groups, others alone, carefree. They were content with their lives. That didn't surprise Ratchet. He didn't know why he even thought about it. Shaking his head, Ratchet started heading for the other side of the Protihex Medical Center. He walked around the building, noticing a large door that looked distinctly out of place.

Ratchet stopped in front of the door, feeling like he recognized it, but he couldn't place where he had seen it before. He let it go, pressing a few areas on an access panel. The door stayed shut for a moment, then slowly opened up with a creak. Ratchet's optics scanned the entrance, seeing that it lead to a tunnel. Ratchet stood in place, silent, before starting into the passage way, the door slamming shut behind him.

The tunnel seemed eeriy familiar, though Ratchet couldn't remember _why_. The darkness of the passage was only pierced by the slight glow at the other end of it. Ratchet could make out the form of a guard as he approached. The guard only looked at Ratchet, then opened the door he stood in front of. Ratchet raised an optic ridge, but went through anyway. The door closed, and Ratchet stepped inside of a gigantic chamber. He looked up, seeing many pairs of optics watching him.

Ratchet knew that he was in the presence of the Guilds of Cybertron, but he didn't know why he felt like he had been there before. A Guilds member gestured for Ratchet to step forward, and he did so, ending up on a platform.

"Medic Ratchet," The Guild member started, voice stern. "Do you know why we have summoned you?"

Ratchet thought for a moment, then frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't."

The Guilds noted that the medic was much less formal than he as during their last encounter. Ratchet's optics were slightly darker than before, revealing that he had seen horrible things during his time as a medic. The only thing that could have made it worse would be some kind of civil war, though that scenario was unlikely to ever occur.

Another Guild member stepped forward. "You had accepted accountability for an action you preformed, and that action has finally come into effect."

Ratchet still stared blankly at them, unsure of what they meant. He had never gone to trial for _anything_, so something he had done in the past couldn't _possibly_ affect him later on. At least, he hoped it couldn't.

Ratchet waited for them to continue, but they said nothing, only stepping aside for three other Guild members to walk up to the medic. One of the Guild members was carrying something in their arms, though Ratchet couldn't see what it was. They stopped a few steps away from Ratchet, and another one of the Guild members spoke up. "Many Vorns ago, you prevented an unborn spark's destruction. Doing so, you became directly responsible for the spark's future, should it have became a defect. _And it did_."

The Guild member shifted the position of their arms slightly, and slowly revealed the small, delicate form of a newborn sparkling.

Ratchet's mouth opened slightly in surprise. He had forgotten about the spark. He didn't know _why_, though, as it held a great significance to Ratchet's old friend. He pushed Rooter out of his thoughts, and in doing so, he realized why he hadn't remembered the spark earlier. He had made himself forget. The spark made him think of all of the deaths that occurred during the incident at the Energon stockpile. He didn't want to think about death, or losing anyone else, so he blocked those thoughts from resurfacing until a time when they were necessary, and necessary they had become.

Ratchet shook his head, focusing on the situation at hand. The sparkling was in recharge, motionless enough for Ratchet to get a good look at it. It's paint was red and blue, with a small crest on it's forehead. It was smaller than it should have been, even if it was a newborn. It's breathing was labored, a clear sign of a severe virus.

"This sparkling has been assigned the designation 'Orion Pax'. It is the spark you had spared. It rose from the Well a defect, and was placed into a protoform as such. Being a defect, it can not be placed by the caste system into a Guild for training," The member said, tone increasingly displeased. "The Guilds refuse to take charge of a defect, and this defect came to be from you letting it live."

Ratchet waited impatiently for them to finish, though he was starting to get nervous about what they had to say. Primus _slaggit_, he should have never interfered with the Guilds. Ratchet was told multiple times that an unborn spark will only end up defective, and he _just didn't listen_, though he had to admit to himself that he didn't understand why. Because of his ignorance, the sparkling in front of him was unlikely to _survive_.

The Guilds stood together, high and mighty, their final decision made. While still holding the sparkling, a Guild member walked up to Ratchet, stopping within arms reach of the medic.

"Therefor," The Guild member said. "The Guilds of Cybertron hereby declare you this sparkling's caretaker."

Ratchet was tempted to say many things. He wanted to object to their order, explain that he was a medic, he had no time for a sparkling, it wasn't a good idea, but the Guilds had spoken. Their will could only be overruled by the High Council, and they wouldn't bother with a trivial situation like that.

The Guild member stepped forward, holding the sparkling out for the medic to take. Reluctantly, Ratchet slowly reached out and picked up the sparkling, adjusting his position so that he ended up cradling it in his arms. The sparkling weakly struggled, letting out a barely audible whine. It's optics flickered open, and it peered up at Ratchet, tiredly. It's optics were a very light blue, and even though they were obviously the optics of a young and innocent sparkling, they showed the potential of a brilliant mind.

"Until a time when this sparkling is well and able to care for itself," The Guild member continued, glaring down at the defective and the medic who caused it. "You will be it's official guardian. You will give it medical treatment, and train it in the basic teachings of the caste."

Ratchet didn't want to. The sparkling would be a nuisance, he knew it. Ratchet glanced down at the newborn, watching as it looked around the room, studying each of the Guild members faceplates before it gazed up at Ratchet curiously. Ratchet knew that defying the Guilds wasn't an option. He could only nod.

The door behind him suddenly snapped open. The members of the Guilds, satisfied, turned around and began making their way out of the chamber, leaving Ratchet alone with the sparkling resting in his arms. Ratchet watched the Guilds of Cybertron for a moment longer before he felt something tapping him on his chest. He looked down and saw the sparkling staring up at him, waiting for something to happen. Ratchet frowned.

"'Orion Pax', huh?" He said, turning around and heading to the exit as he spoke. Ratchet let out an exasperated breath. "I guess you're coming with me."

The sparkling, Orion, said nothing. Ratchet had never expected it, no, _he_, to do so. It was normal for a sparkling to be temporarily mute for a few Orbital Cycles, but even he didn't know how long it would take a _defective_. It was unlikely that Orion would ever be able to walk, and that was if he even survived long enough to try.

Ratchet continued through the tunnel without really paying attention to where he was going. He knew he had walked up and down that passage one too many times for his liking. Orion was enjoying it much more than Ratchet was. He heard metal shifting in the walls, pointing to where the noise was coming from and looking up at Ratchet expectantly. He was obviously curious. Ratchet didn't bother explaining anything to Orion as he reached the other end of the passage.

Ratchet paused, tempted to try and kick the door open, then shook his head as he held Orion in one arm and entered the access code with his free hand. Ratchet failed once, then twice, then a few more times, before he mumbled something under his breath in frustration and finally got the door open.

Ratchet walked out, the sudden amount of light from outside momentarily blinding him. Orion covered his optics, which were seemingly more sensitive than they should have been. Ratchet shifted the sparkling's position, heading towards the main entrance of the Medical Center.

Ratchet walked into the building, no one sending him a second glance. The other medics didn't notice the sparkling, and Orion ducked down slightly into Ratchet's arms. Ratchet walked down the hallways, making his way towards his quarters. He didn't know how he could look after a sparkling. He had nothing he could give. He didn't know what to do.

Before Ratchet could think about it further, Voltlock moved swiftly around the corner, startling Ratchet. Voltlock smirked, patting his fellow medic on the back. "Well, Ratchet, did you and your mate have fun?"

Ratchet frowned, moving out of Voltlock's reach. "You _know_ where I was."

Voltlock's smile disappeared. "Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_," Ratchet snapped, glaring at seemingly nothing. He took a deep breath to calm himself down. "I'm fine."

"You sure? Doesn't seem like it," Voltlock chuckled, though he still sounded concerned, before his optics gazed to what Ratchet was holding. Voltlock frowned. "And who's this?"

Ratchet blinked, unsure of who Voltlock was referring to, then he looked down as well. Orion was snuggled comfortably in Ratchet's arms, silently observing the area. He seemed to notice he was being watched, as he looked back up at Ratchet inquisitively.

Even though he loathed to admit it, Ratchet had completely forgotten about the sparkling, even though he was_ carrying him_. Ratchet turned back to Voltlock, his optics clearly showing his annoyance. "His name is Orion."

"Is he one of your patients?" Voltlock asked, crossing his arms and staring at Ratchet disapprovingly.

"... Not exactly," Ratchet said. Voltlock raised an optic ridge, waiting for Ratchet to continue. If Ratchet was going to start cracking jokes, it _better _have been a good one. Letting out an exasperated breath, Ratchet gave in. "... I'm his caretaker."

Voltlock stared, his expression shifting between outright disbelief and honest curiosity. He said nothing for a while, then to Ratchet's surprise, Voltlock burst out laughing. Ratchet blinked, confused at Voltlock's sudden change in demeanor.

"_You_? A _caretaker_?" Voltlock said between chuckles. "You must have lost _some _bet with the Guilds of Cybertron if they let _you_ look after a _sparkling_."

Ratchet frowned, glancing down at Orion and shifting the sparkling's position slightly. His voice lowered. "Something like that..."

Voltlock snickered for a few moments longer, then he got a good look at Ratchet's expression and his optics widened in realization. "Wait a Klik, you're _serious_?"

Ratchet nodded. He watched the sparkling with a hint of kindness for a moment, then almost immediately regained his natural expression. Voltlock suddenly uplinked someone, whispering something that Ratchet couldn't hear. Voltlock ended the uplink, looking over at Ratchet with a blank face.

"We'll talk about this later," Voltlock said, before turning and walking away. Orion watched Voltlock leave, then looked back up at Ratchet in uncertainty. Ratchet grumbled and continued down the hall.

Ratchet walked into the back area of the building, to the Medical Quarters. He stepped up to the door to his quarters and paused for the door to open. It did not, and Ratchet growled as another door decided to delay him. "You have _got_ to be _joking_."

He tried a few more times, then the door opened with a small click. Ratchet walked into his quarters, quickly taking notice to an extra berth placed on the other side of the room, opposite to his own. The berth was too big for the sparkling, only slightly smaller than Ratchet's. He knew that it was rare, but not unheard of, for a sparkling to be raised by a caretaker instead of a Guild, so there were no smaller berths available.

A small table was set next to the berth, medical tools and devices scattered on top. A spark monitor stood against the wall, ready to be used if needed. Ratchet guessed that Voltlock had called someone to bring them there earlier, as he was the only one who knew that Ratchet was the sparkling's caretaker.

Ratchet gently set Orion on the berth. He took a step back, watching over Orion as the sparkling got a good look at his surroundings. Ratchet frowned. Orion didn't even _look_ defective. He was able to focus on what was going on. The colors on his frame were vibrant. He looked perfectly healthy. Ratchet briefly wondered if the Guilds were playing a trick on him.

Orion looked up at Ratchet expectantly. Ratchet glowered at him, then his forearm shifted into a scanner. "Don't move."

The scanners light washed over the sparkling, moving up and down his frame, it's glow a steady red. Ratchet read over the results, frowning. He grabbed a spherical tool from the table, reaching out to open Orion's hand. Orion shifted away slightly, receiving an annoyed growl from Ratchet.

"Stay _still_," Ratchet demanded, forcibly placing the device in Orion's hand. The tool lit up, it's glow alternating between green and white at it worked. Orion seemed to notice that it was not a threat, as he relaxed a little more. The device let out a series of buzzes and clicks to signal that it was finished, so Ratchet picked it up and looked over it. Glaring, Ratchet set the tool aside and scanned Orion again, receiving the same results as before. With all of that information gathered, Ratchet was able to make a full assessment of Orion's health.

Orion's temperature was lower than it should have been. Energon was having difficulty running through his veins. The metal that made up his frame was very fragile. His voice box was malfunctioning. His limbs were very weak.

When Ratchet had first found it, Orion's spark had been exposed and unprotected, and once it was placed inside of a protoform, the spark and the frame became connected. That spark was contaminated, and the protoform became so, contaminated, sick, weak.

Defective.

Orion suddenly broke into a series of harsh coughs that wracked his frame. Instinctively, Ratchet knelt down next to the berth and placed a gentle hand on the sparkling's back, carefully caressing up and down. The cough slowly subsided, but it left Orion gasping for a breath.

Orion shivered, his temperature finally registering with his body. Ratchet stood up, sliding open a panel in the wall. He turned up the heating in the room in an attempt to warm Orion up, even just a little. Orion's shaking took a while to stop, and once he was still, he looked up at Ratchet tiredly.

Ratchet slowly moved Orion so the sparkling was laying down on the berth. Before Ratchet let go, Orion latched onto the medic's hand. He gave a warm, yet weak, smile. Ratchet hesitated, then he pulled his hand away, taking a step back and watching Orion with cold optics. He reached to the side, grabbing the spark monitor and setting it to display Orion's vitals.

Ratchet heard the door open behind him, and turned around to see Voltlock standing there, looking extremely stern. He gestured for Ratchet to exit the room, intending to have a serious conversation with his fellow medic. Ratchet glanced back at Orion, who watched him with sincere content.

Ratchet looked at Orion for a moment longer before he turned and walked out of the room, the door shutting behind him. Ratchet was glad that only he and Voltlock were in the hallways. He would be able to speak without anyone overhearing.

"I didn't want to say this in front of the kid," Voltlock started, an annoyed expression on his faceplate. "What the _frag _are you doing with a_ sparkling_, Ratchet?"

At first, Ratchet didn't reply. He didn't understand, either. If Ratchet was considered the reason Orion was defective, it would have been deemed an indirect act of assault, violence, but the only thing that happened was Orion being given to Ratchet by force. Ratchet assumed that the Guilds of Cybertron just didn't want to get their servos dirty. They didn't want a defective contaminating their caste system, but because they gave their word to let the spark live, they couldn't destroy it. So instead, they left it under Ratchet's care, and Ratchet believed that they expected Orion to die.

"The Guilds..." Ratchet said, hesitating as he spoke. "... We had made a deal. I look after the sparkling if they let it live."

"Wait, wait, _wait_," Voltlock cut in, crossing his arms. "Restart. _Why_ are you _personally_ looking after a sparkling? Why would the Guilds of Cybertron even _think_ about killing one?"

Ratchet looked down, frowning. "... Do you remember the explosion at the refueling station?"

"Yes. It happened Solar Cycles ago, killed almost everyone there. I hope the piece of scrap that set it off got caught in the blast as well," Voltlock snorted, fists tightening. "Did someone tell you if they did or not?"

Ratchet looked back at Voltlock, his expression a mixture of embarrassment and guilt. "I... don't remember."

Voltlock raised an optic ridge. "Of course you don't. Why would you? It's not like you could have seen who did it or anything."

Ratchet's optics were downcast again, glowing deep blue. Voltlock didn't know. Nobody knew. Ratchet never told anyone.

"Rooter and I went to the refueling station to discuss something she found. We saw some Cybertronians fighting over Energon, and one of them tried to shoot the other, but hit the Energon stockpile instead," Ratchet explained, feeling the weight of the event becoming heavier as he spoke. "I was knocked unconscious by the blast. Rooter... didn't make it."

"Oh," Voltlock said quietly, optics wide and arms unfolding to rest limply at his sides. "Oh, _slag_. I'm sorry, Ratchet."

"It's fine, this doesn't matter anymore," Ratchet replied, not even convincing himself. "It doesn't matter. I just need to make sure you don't tell anyone what I tell you, so _don't_."

"I won't, I promise," Voltlock nodded, raising his hand for emphasis. He gestured for Ratchet to continue, and Ratchet did so.

"Rooter had found something... that shouldn't have been there," Ratchet said. "I found Rooter's body after the explosion, and she was holding an unborn spark."

Voltlock blinked in surprise. "An _unborn spark_? No way, they don't exist. They _can't_ exist."

"If you would let me _finish_," Ratchet threatened, regaining his previous expression. "I showed it to- I brought it to the Guilds of Cybertron, and they agreed to let it live if I am responsible for it."

"That's why the Guilds wanted to see you," Voltlock concluded, ignoring the fact that Ratchet had left something out. If Ratchet didn't want to talk about it, Voltlock wouldn't make him. Voltlock suddenly understood, looking towards the door the sparkling rested behind. "So that means Orion is..."

Ratchet nodded, and ended the conversation there. Voltlock knew, but he wasn't the only one who did. Voltlock was just the only one Ratchet _told_.

The only ones who knew, besides Voltlock, were the Guilds of Cybertron, and the medic who helped Ratchet get the spark to safety, though that medic was long gone. Motor had suddenly left, and no one knew why. Ratchet occasionally wondered if the Guilds had relocated Motor because of his involvement with the spark, but he believed he would never know for sure. If Motor had become one with the Allspark, then Ratchet only hoped that he found peace, and that he greeted Rooter for him.

Voltlock placed a hand on Ratchet's shoulder, smiling sadly. "He's going to be fine, you'll see."

Voltlock took one last look at the sparkling, and with that, he turned around, walking away from his fellow medic.

Ratchet had to admit, he felt even worse after talking about what had happened. Cybertronians who said that it would heal one's spark if they talked about their problems were full of scrap.

Ratchet turned back around to enter his quarters, but the door didn't respond to his presence. He seethed and he yelled in frustration as another door refused to cooperate with him. "_Primus forsaken machine!_"

Ratchet was prepared to kick the door down, when it flew open and almost knocked him over. Ratchet growled as he walked in, taking notice to the newborn sparkling recharging quietly on the berth. Ratchet hesitated, staying as silent as he possibly could. His mind went completely blank for a moment, before he relaxed slightly.

Orion's breathing was still labored, which concerned Ratchet more than any of the other symptoms. Ratchet wirelessly connected Orion's spark monitor to his scanner, so he could view the sparkling's vitals when he wasn't there.

With that, Ratchet left the sparkling to rest, heading towards another waiting patient's operating room to get some work done.


	4. Chapter 3

There was a yell coming from Ratchet's quarters.

That's all Voltlock had to go on. A group of medics came up to Voltlock and told him that Ratchet was shouting very loudly at someone, but they didn't know who, because they could only hear Ratchet's voice. Voltlock quickly figured out what had happened without even entering Ratchet's quarters. Orion had either done something Ratchet didn't want him to do, or he _didn't_ do something Ratchet _wanted_ him to do.

Either way, the sparkling was probably cowering in a corner in an attempt to hide from Ratchet's rage, though it was futile.

Voltlock strolled into Ratchet's room, quickly taking in what was going on around him. Ratchet was hunched over Orion's berth, needle in hand, and trying to keep the sparkling from moving so he could take an Energon sample. He needed to scan the Energon that had run through Orion's veins to see if there was contamination that could be treated.

Orion was struggling, the sharp object obviously making him uncomfortable. Ratchet kept trying to bring the needle closer to the sparkling, but Orion kept pulling away, though he was clearly having trouble doing so. He was still weak, even if he was slightly stronger than he was the Orbital Cycle before.

Ratchet let out another growl of frustration, trying to bring the needle to Orion's arm. "If you don't sit still _right now_, I will strap you down and force you into stasis, _do you understand_!?"

Orion let out a whine, though it was barely audible over Ratchet's tantrum. Orion looked over at Voltlock, optics wide and filled with fear. Ratchet once again made a move for Orion's arm, but the sparkling pulled away again, and Ratchet looked like he was about to throw something at him.

Voltlock rolled his optics, then swiped the needle out of Ratchet's grasp. Voltlock slowly approached the sparkling, a soft smile on his faceplate. "Orion?"

Orion glanced up at Voltlock, but his attention quickly switched to the tool in the medic's had. Orion shifted away again, obviously distressed.

"Orion, it's alright," Voltlock said reassuringly. He sat next to Orion, reaching out to take the sparkling's hand in his own. Voltlock placed a gentle hand on Orion's shoulder. "You'll be just fine."

Orion peered at Voltlock nervously, though he slowly began relaxing under touch. Voltlock lifted the needle, bringing it to the sparkling's arm. Orion tensed up, and Voltlock whispered soothing words as the needle extracted a rather large amount of Orion's Energon. The Energon was an unhealthy blue, lacking the bright glow the was present in most.

When the tool completed it's job, Voltlock set it aside, sending Orion a small smile. "See? You're alright."

Orion looked at Voltlock, slowly returning the smile, looking oddly tired. The Energon taken out of the sparkling had yet to be replaced. Voltlock made a mental note to check on Orion's Energon levels after a few Astro Cycles.

Ratchet watched what transpired in front of him, gaze shifting between Voltlock and Orion before staring at the former, bewildered. "... How did you do that?"

"I don't know, Ratchet. I guess I just have 'the touch'," Voltlock answered jokingly, standing up and taking a step away from Orion's berth.

Ratchet was clearly unimpressed. Voltlock's smirk gradually left his faceplate. Voltlock let out a breath of exasperation.

"Ratchet, Orion is a _sparkling_," Voltlock explained as he walked over to his fellow medic. "He has never been trained by a Guild. He was given to you _right after_ his spark rose from the Well. He was never taught _anything_. You need to be _patient _with him. He's_ young_. He doesn't _understand_."

It took a moment for what Voltlock said to sink in. Ratchet realized that he hadn't really though about Orion's mental state. It hadn't occurred to Ratchet that his own processor was completely developed, while Orion's was only in it's beginning stages. While normal sparklings develop quickly, it was unknown how long it would take a _defective_.

"Since you're _such_ an _empathetic_ mech," Voltlock continued, voice laced with sarcasm. "I know you'll do just fine. Though, I can always take over for a Klik or two if you get overwhelmed."

Ratchet glared. "I am not _dependent_."

"You're not," Voltlock replied, pointing at the sparkling seated on the berth. "But _he is_."

Ratchet's will to argue faltered. His optics drifted over to Orion, who was staying calm and still. If left alone, Orion wouldn't be able to leave that spot. His legs could move, but they were too weak to keep him standing.

"_Primus_, what's_ with _you?" Voltlock said condescendingly, crossing his arms and watching Ratchet with a confused expression. "Did you even_ get _any recharge?"

Ratchet rubbed a hand over his faceplate. "_No_. The sparkling woke up and wouldn't stop coughing for an _Astro Cycle_."

Ratchet was obviously exhausted, but he wouldn't let that stop him from working. Voltlock had told him before that he was allowed take time off whenever he needed, but Ratchet never did. If he had a patient, he would have to know for certain that his patient would live before he would take care of himself. Voltlock would have admired that, if Ratchet didn't end up staying awake for Orbital Cycles because he _wouldn't give up_.

Voltlock was about to say something else, when someone uplinked him. Voltlock was quiet as he listened, and a little while longer after the connection was cut off. He looked confused, which in turn confused Ratchet. "Is something wrong?"

Voltlock shook his head, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "No, no, everything's fine. Someone tried to hack into the Medical Database, but they had the hacking skills of a scraplet."

That got Ratchet's attention. "What were they trying to gain access to?"

"Someone's medical records, most likely," Voltlock answered, picking up a nearby datapad and skimming through it. A red message flashed across the screen and Voltlock read it rapidly. "There's no way to tell whose records, though."

Voltlock's optics continued scanning the information on the datapad. The hack attempt was very poorly handled, obvious by the fact that they never even _started_ bypassing the firewall before technicians sealed the records off. There was no way to tell who tried to hack the database, as they didn't stay in the system long enough for a trace to be completed.

Voltlock pinched the bridge between his optics. "Unless they try again, and manage to get into the medical records, we'll never know what they were trying to reach."

Ratchet frowned. He already had a sparkling to take care of, he had _no time _to deal with a security breach. Even if the hacker wasn't attacking Ratchet directly, a threat to the Medical Center was a threat to _everyone_ there. Ratchet assumed that the hacker was a Cybertronian who did something violent, and in turn, tried to erase any evidence of it. They were more than likely someone from a lower caste, obvious by their non-existent technical skills. They could have been a gladiator, or even a miner. There was no way to know for certain.

"Ratchet, I have to go," Voltlock said suddenly. He was looking over his vital scanner, which appeared to be linked to a spark monitor. "My patient's flatlining, slaggit-"

Voltlock cut himself off, optics darting to Orion. The sparkling didn't seem to be listening to what he said, but Voltlock wasn't going to take any chances.

"Scrap, I mean-" Voltlock shuffled towards the doorway, tripping over his words in an attempt to stow swearing in front of the sparkling, quickly growing frustrated. "_Frag_. Kid, don't repeat anything I say. _Ever_."

With those words of wisdom, Voltlock hurried out of Ratchet's shared quarters to go resuscitate his patient. Ratchet and Orion watched Voltlock leave, Orion having not fully grasped what Voltlock had been blabbering about. Ratchet rolled his optics at his fellow medic's temperament, then he turned to the sparkling, who was clearly low on Energon.

Ratchet could leave to go get Orion an Energon cube. He could give it to the sparkling, then go attend to the injured. He could use the scanner to view Orion's vitals while he worked.

On the other hand, if Orion ended up flatlining and Ratchet didn't get there in time to revive him, Orion would _die_. It would be considered Ratchet's fault.

So he was stuck with him, then.

Ratchet walked over to Orion, who tried to back away. Ratchet picked the sparkling up, cradling Orion as he struggled in the medic's arms, which only managed to send the sparkling into a coughing fit. Ratchet proceeded to gently pat the sparkling's back, noting that Orion tensed up at his touch. He was afraid. Ratchet frowned, knowing that whatever positive emotions Orion felt for him before had completely disappeared, but Ratchet honestly couldn't bring himself to care.

Ratchet made his way out of the room, the sparkling in his arms finally going silent. The hallways were more crowded then they usually were, seeing as other medics were actually using them. They went on their way, ignoring Ratchet, and if any of them did notice that the irritable mech was carrying a sweet little sparkling, they did a great job of hiding it. Ratchet continued through the hallways at an even pace, heading towards the refueling station.

He entered, and glanced around the room. The refueling station was almost completely empty, save for a few mechs and a femme in the corner of the room, who were yelling happily at each other for reasons Ratchet didn't know. The Energon sorter was standing in front of the Energon stockpile, apparently content with all of the noise.

The Energon sorter wasn't Oiltrack, seeing as Oiltrack was no longer functional. He was a new Energon sorter. Ratchet didn't know his name. Ratchet didn't really care. The last one didn't make a really good impression on him.

Ratchet walked up to the sorter, giving a curt nod of acknowledgement before getting straight to the point. "I need an Energon cube to refuel my patient."

The sorter nodded in return, picking up one of the many blue glowing cubes behind him. He turned to face Ratchet, optics widening when he saw what was in the medic's arms. The sorter's faceplate immediately brightened, and he smiled. "Hey, little sparkling."

Orion watched the sorter, hesitant, before he returned the smile. He was too weak to do much else.

The sorter looked back up at Ratchet, a strange warmth in his optics. "Is he yours?"

That question floored Ratchet. His optic ridges narrowed, and his tone was very stern. "He is my _patient_."

The sorter's smile faltered, and he paused, then he held the cube out for Ratchet to take. "I see."

Ratchet grabbed the cube without another word, and began walking to the room's exit. Orion peered over Ratchet's arm, looking over at the sorter, who smiled once again.

"Bye bye, little sparkling," The sorter said with a wave. Orion watched with his head tilted, then he mimicked the motion, and after that he made a movement that might have been considered a wave if he wasn't using both hands. Soon Orion could no longer see the sorter, as Ratchet left the room, taking the sparkling with him.

Ratchet was no where near offended by the sorter's question. Ratchet just said what he felt was true. Orion was Ratchet's patient. That was all. Orion was sick, and Ratchet was going to heal him. There was nothing else. Ratchet didn't _want_ anything else. Orion would _not_ be anything else to him. Orion wasn't his. Orion would _never_ be his.

Ratchet walked back the way he came, stepping into his quarters, which looked the same as it had when he left. He placed Orion gently on the berth, the sparkling watching Ratchet curiously, if not a bit fearfully. Ratchet stood next to the berth for a moment, then proceeded to run a scan on Orion. Ratchet checked over the amount of Energon in Orion's veins, as he didn't want to accidentally overcharge the tiny sparkling.

The cube that the sorter gave to Ratchet contained a little more Energon than Orion required. Ratchet didn't have an empty cube nearby, so he improvised, taking a spare needle and slowly poured a small portion of the Energon into it. He sealed the needle, then placed it aside, giving the cube's remaining Energon a swirl.

Ratchet scooped Orion back up, taking a seat on the berth. Ratchet carried the sparkling in one arm, holding out the Energon cube for the sparkling to take. Orion only stared at it, confused, then looked up at Ratchet expectantly. Ratchet waited for a moment, impatient and not completely understanding what Orion wanted, then his expression changed and he watched the sparkling skeptically. "You have got to be _joking_."

Ratchet grumbled something under his breath, grudgingly bringing the cube to the sparkling's mouth. Orion quickly figured out what Ratchet meant, and he started drinking, hands raised and placed on the sides of the cube to help keep it steady. Ratchet was tempted to let Orion hold it by himself, but he didn't want to risk having it spill all over both of them if Orion couldn't hold it up on his own. Ratchet continued lifting the cube, tilting it more each time the level of Energon in the cube was noticeably lower.

Orion's optics drooped. To the cold sparkling, the Energon seemed rather warm. Orion was cradled next to Ratchet chest, and he could hear the gentle rhythm of his caretaker's beating spark. The combination of both was beginning to lull the young sparkling into recharge.

The cube was eventually empty, and Ratchet put it on a nearby desk with a mental note to return it later. Ratchet glanced down at Orion, who looked like he was about to drift off. Ratchet stayed sitting for a moment longer before he stood up with the sparkling in his arms and started an uplink. "Voltlock, are you busy?"

"_No, not really. I'm free for the moment,_" Voltlock replied casually, but his voice quickly changed into a sarcastic tone. "_My patient is still alive and stable now, too. Thanks for asking._"

Ratchet was unimpressed. "I need to perform an examination. Can you look after the sparkling?"

"_Oh, my!_" Voltlock exclaimed, a confident smile clear in his voice. "_Well, Sir Not-Dependent, I'm sure I can spare a few Kliks to watch over the kid. I'll be there soon._"

Voltlock ended the uplink, with Ratchet miffed at Voltlock's callback to their previous conversation. Ratchet was left standing in the middle of the room.

Voltlock really did mean it when he said that he'd be there quickly, as the door soon opened and Voltlock stepped in, then he glanced at Ratchet and had to cover his mouth to keep himself from bursting out laughing. Ratchet stared at Voltlock with an optic ridge raised. "What?"

Voltlock had to take a moment to compose himself, even though he couldn't stop smirking. "You two look absolutely _adorable_."

Ratchet couldn't tell if Voltlock was making a joke, or if he was actually serious. Ratchet looked down at Orion to see that the sparkling was recharging quietly in his arms. Orion cuddled against Ratchet's chest, breathing softly and seemingly content.

Ratchet frowned. "Will you look after him or not?"

Voltlock's expression didn't change. "Yes, yes, I'll do it, Ratch'. Don't blow a gasket."

Voltlock stepped forward, reaching out to take the sparkling into his arms. Ratchet handed Voltlock the sparkling, and Orion stirred from the movement, though he didn't wake. Voltlock shifted Orion's position until it was similar to how he rested in Ratchet's arms, but Orion seemed uneasy. With the sparkling out of his hands, Ratchet sent Voltlock a nod as he left his quarters.

Ratchet's newest patient was in a nearby operating room, having requested to see a medic a few Orbital Cycles before. Almost all of the medic's already had their schedules full for a while, and Ratchet ended up being the only medic with time to spare. Even so, the patient's examination had to be postponed until a later date. Ratchet assumed that the patient would probably be angry with Ratchet, but he really didn't care.

Ratchet walked into a room, where an older mech was leaning against a berth. Ratchet immediately noticed that the mech was partially covered in rust, though there was no indication as to why. It was most likely the reason he wanted an examination in the first place. The mech looked over with kind optics. "Are you Ratchet?"

Ratchet didn't expect that nice of a reaction. He answered simply. "Yes."

The mech nodded, heaving off of the berth and walked towards Ratchet with a small limp. The limp appeared to be caused by rust sealing the joints into place. Ratchet quickly stopped the patient, shaking his head. The mech blinked, but complied and went back to the berth, taking a seat. Ratchet scanned over the mech, the light glowing red every time it shone over spots of rust. Ratchet wondered how hard it would be to do an examination if Orion was still with him.

Ratchet shook his head. It wasn't the time to think about the sparkling. Ratchet completed his scan, and he read over the results, raised on optic ridge, then ran the scan again.

The mech watched Ratchet, the kindness in his optics not leaving, but only being joined by curiosity. "Is there something wrong?"

Ratchet looked over the results again, and before he could reply, someone tried to uplink him. Ratchet made an instinctive apologetic wave with his hand towards the mech and he made his way to the other end of the room. After a moment, he answered, though someone spoke before he could say anything.

"_Ratchet?_" Voltlock said, sounding slightly unsure about something. "_Where are you?_"

"Sector A, room eight." Ratchet answered absentmindedly, before he paused. "Why?"

Voltlock had already terminated the connection. Ratchet gave a dismissive shrug, heading back to where he was and continuing to look over the patient.

Ratchet was surprised at how quickly it took Voltlock to get from his quarters to where he was, but he was even more surprised at how completely out of it Voltlock looked while carried the awakened sparkling.

Ratchet stared at his fellow medic, annoyed at his work being interrupted. "Voltlock, what are you doing here?"

"You're here," Voltlock answered, partially avoiding the question and looking very tired, even though he'd only been with the sparkling for a moment.

"_Voltlock_," Ratchet demanded, not in the mood for jokes. "_Why _did you bring Orion _here_?"

"He woke up," Voltlock replied, letting out a breath of exasperation. He shifted the Orion's position in his arms. "He started making a fuss when he saw only me. He wants_ you_."

Orion reached towards Ratchet pleadingly, wide awake and full of energy. He looked more upset than happy, and Ratchet glared.

"I don't _care_ about what he wants," Ratchet said, trying to keep his voice low, and failing. "I am in the _middle_ of an _examination_."

"Oh, what a sweet little sparkling," The patient spoke up, optics shining as he looked to Ratchet. "You must be very proud."

"I am _not_," Ratchet snapped, bringing up his scanner to look over the results.

Voltlock peered over Ratchet's shoulder, reading the results as well, then he looked over at the patient incredulously. "Okay, this may sound really bad, but when was the last time you had a bath?"

"I'm not sure," The mech replied, pausing to think and coming up with nothing. "Probably a few Orns ago."

"See, that's your problem," Voltlock said, gesturing to the rust. "It's accumulating. You got some, and it multiplied because you didn't wash it away sooner. Just take an oil bath. You'll be fine."

The patient thought for a long while, then his smile became wider and he stood with a laugh. "Of course! I should have known. Thank you very much!"

Voltlock gave a tired smile in return, and the patient limped out of the operating room, most likely going to wash himself off. Ratchet watched his patient leave, then looked at Voltlock disapprovingly. Voltlock stared back. "What?"

Ratchet grumbled something under his breath, taking Orion into his arms and heading out of the room. Voltlock followed behind him.

"Hey, I'm sorry I took over your job," Voltlock said, and Ratchet whipped back around to face him.

"It's not about that!" Ratchet almost yelled, but he tried to keep his voice particularly quiet. He turned back and began making his way to his quarters.

"Then what is it?" Voltlock asked, taking a step towards his fellow medic in concern.

Ratchet let out an exasperated breath, unconsciously holding the sparkling closer. "Nothing. It's _nothing_."

"Ratchet, please, you need to calm down," Voltlock insisted, placing a hand on his fellow medic's shoulder, though Ratchet quickly jerked away. Ratchet continued forward, and a mech bumped him roughly with his shoulder. Ratchet didn't know if it was accidental or on purpose, but he was too angry to care. He kept walking, leaving Voltlock standing there wondering what he could have done wrong.

It didn't take long for Ratchet to reach his quarters. When he did, the door opened rapidly, as if it was afraid of enduring Ratchet's wrath. Ratchet placed the sparkling onto his berth, then tried to sort his thoughts.

Ratchet was furious. He was furious and he didn't know why. What happened before was only Ratchet leaving Orion with Voltlock, assisting an older mech, seeing Voltlock come in with the upset sparkling. He knew that those events were not enough to warrant his reaction, but he still felt like he wanted to throw a wrench at Voltlock's head. That was a method of punishment Ratchet had never used before. Perhaps he would try it in the future.

He was getting distracted. He was tired. He couldn't think straight. His lack of recharge and the frustration he felt worked together to make Ratchet throw a fit.

Orion watched Ratchet walk around angrily. He didn't understand. Ratchet kept walking, and he didn't stop. Orion kept watching. Orion stayed still for a moment, then slowly crawled to the edge of the berth, looking down.

Ratchet paced the room, trying to make sense of everything. He knew that he was probably just overly exhausted, but he wasn't certain. His thoughts were like a jumbled mess, and he _didn't know why_.

Orion carefully let himself drop down onto the floor. He looked back at Ratchet, who hadn't noticed that he had moved. Orion carefully placed both hands on the side of the berth, using it for support.

Ratchet heard something move behind him. He was sure that he placed Orion on the berth, but the sound was coming from the floor. If Orion had broke something, Ratchet knew that he was going to _lose it_. Ratchet slowed to a stop, turning around and looking down.

Orion was walking.

Ratchet could not believe it. His scans had clearly showed that Orion would _never_ be able to walk, yet there he was, taking slow steps towards his caretaker. Orion's legs were said to have been too weak to hold him up, but he was _still walking_. Ratchet only stood there, watching Orion continue forward, towards him.

Orion stumbled slightly, and Ratchet moved forward to catch him, but Orion quickly steadied himself. Orion took another step, then he finally reached Ratchet's leg, practically hugging it as he smiled up at his caretaker. Ratchet watched Orion for a moment, then a small smile appeared on his faceplate as well. Ratchet knelt down to gently pick Orion up, once again cradling the sparkling in his arms.

Ratchet didn't really know what to say. He had just watched his charge take his first steps. He didn't know why it meant so much to him, as it never would have before. Ratchet knew that he shouldn't have felt so happy, but he _did_.

Ratchet sat down on his berth, back leaning against the wall. He was exhausted. Orion snuggled into his caretaker's chest, enjoying the warmth which was similar to that of a blanket.

Orion had seen Ratchet walk, and attempted to mimic him. He succeeded. That one action gave Ratchet a hope that Orion would survive through his defects. Ratchet didn't think that it should have warmed his spark as much as it did.

Ratchet let his optics close, the caretaker and his sparkling together, at rest.

* * *

Voltlock was concerned.

Ratchet hadn't left his quarters in a few Astro Cycles. The last time Voltlock saw him, Ratchet was acting like he was about to have a mental breakdown. Voltlock probably wouldn't have paid much attention to his fellow medic's absence, except the only difference was that there was a sparkling involved.

Voltlock never once thought that Ratchet would harm Orion. Ratchet cared too much about the wellbeing of others. Voltlock just didn't want Ratchet to traumatize the poor sparkling. Ratchet had already frightened him with the needle earlier that Orbital Cycle.

Voltlock stood in front of the door to Ratchet's quarters, trying to decide if he should check up on them or not. After a moment, Voltlock raised his arms and quietly knocked on the door.

There was no response. Voltlock briefly wondered if Ratchet wasn't there. The door was unlocked, so Ratchet had to be inside. Voltlock waited, then he moved closer to the door, which opened automatically. He went inside, then he paused midstep at what he saw.

Ratchet had fallen into recharge, leaning against the wall with the sparkling in his arms. Orion was in recharge as well, completely calm as he lay against his caretaker's chest.

Voltlock smiled, turning off the lights and locking the door as he left them to rest peacefully.


	5. Chapter 4

_The sparkling._

Ratchet jolted awake, snapping into a sitting position.

He sat there for a moment, wondering why he was suddenly panicked, and soon relaxed because he couldn't think of an answer. He looked down at the berth he was resting on. Had he fallen into recharge?

The thought puzzled him for a moment, then a sound coming from the other side of the room reminded him of why he had woken up in the first place.

The sparkling.

Ratchet grumbled tiredly, pinching the bridge between his optics before he stood. He looked around, spotting the sparkling wandering around the room, touching everything he could get his hands on. He was clearly full of energy, the ability to walk making him want to do so. Ratchet walked up to the sparkling, heaving him off of the ground and holding him in his arms.

Orion playfully attempted to grab Ratchet's fingers. The medic frowned, all feelings he had for the sparkling before promptly disappearing.

"Don't even think about it," Ratchet grumbled, practically dropping the sparkling onto his berth. He turned back around, muttering to himself.

Orion's smile only brightened at the medic's voice, and he hopped off of the berth, latching onto his caretaker's leg with a hum of content. Ratchet swiftly shifted his footing, and slipped out of the sparkling's grasp.

The loss of support ended up causing Orion to tumble backwards and bump into a desk, accidently knocking over one of Ratchet's tools, which fell and shattered onto the floor. Ratchet spun around at the crash, optics wide, then saw Orion take a step away from the sharp shards of metal scattered on the floor. Ratchet let out all of his frustration at once. "Orion, I _needed_ that!"

"I'm sure you did, Ratchet," At the sound of his name, Ratchet turned to face the entrance to his quarters, where Voltlock was leaning against the door frame with a smirk. "But you also have two more on the desk."

Ratchet blinked, then glanced back and saw what Voltlock was talking about. Two tools that looked exactly like the one smashed on the floor. Ratchet frowned. "Right."

Voltlock rolled his optics, walking in and picking the sparkling up off of the floor. Orion immediately started struggling, arms reaching out towards Ratchet. Voltlock's optics glowed and he let out a laugh. "Well, look at this, Ratch'. He _likes _you."

"He'd better _stop_." Ratchet countered as he began picking up the remains of his broken tool. "Eventually, I won't be forced to looked after him any longer. Once he's better, he's_ gone_."

Voltlock's smile faltered momentarily, before he looked back down at Orion, who gave up trying to get free and instead watched the two medics talking. Voltlock's smile returned, though not as large as before.

Voltlock walked over to Ratchet, handing Orion to his fellow medic. The metal of his arm shifted.

"I'm sure you were expecting this, but I have to go," Voltlock said, reading over a scan on his forearm. "It's just a quick inspection, I'll be back in less than a Klik."

Voltlock made his way out of the room, turning back only to tease his fellow medic.

"You two have fun." Voltlock said with a smirk before the door closed behind him. Ratchet huffed in annoyance, then once again placed Orion on the sparkling's berth, though Orion's optics stayed locked where Voltlock had exited.

Ratchet turned to the desk, grabbing one of the tools and adjusting it slightly. The room was surprisingly quiet after Voltlock left. For the next few Kliks, Ratchet was able to work without interruption, putting his tools out of the sparkling's reach.

Someone was trying to uplink Ratchet. The silence disturbed, Ratchet was annoyed as he accepted the call.

"_Need me for anything else?_" Voltlock's voice perked up from the other end of the uplink.

Ratchet frowned. "Don't you have a patient to get to?"

"_The examination is finished_," Voltlock said. "_I told you it'd be quick_."

Ratchet didn't reply, only taking out a thermometer that he planned to use to see if the sparkling's temperature was still below average.

Voltlock spoke up again. "_You done with the kid, yet?_"

"Well, if he would just sit down for a minute, I could finish his check up!" Ratchet growled, spinning around to face the sparkling's berth. "Now, Orion, I-"

Ratchet stopped short at the sight of the empty berth. He stared at it for a moment, as if he expected the sparkling to suddenly reappear on it, then turned around to see if he had accidentally placed Orion on his own berth.

He wasn't there, either. Ratchet frowned, kneeling down to see if the sparkling had crawled under a desk. "Orion?"

There was nothing. Ratchet felt his spark rate increase. Optics widening slightly, he turned to face the open door of his quarters.

As he stepped into the hallway, Voltlock spoke up. "_Something wrong, Ratch'?_"

"Voltlock, is Orion with you?" Ratchet asked slowly, tone unintentionally low.

Voltlock didn't respond right away, as if taking a moment to shake his head, even though Ratchet couldn't see. "_No. Why?_"

Ratchet's optics scanned his quarters from the outside, but there was no one there. "He's gone."

There was almost a full Klik of silence. "_What?_"

"Orion isn't here, he must have gotten out," Ratchet explained, making his way down the hallway, trying to find a trace of his charge.

"_I'll be right there._" Voltlock said quickly, and the uplink was abruptly cut off. Ratchet didn't care, though. Orion was missing.

A normal sparkling wandering around alone was bad enough, but a sickly defective was at risk of severe viruses. His immune system was not yet developed. If Orion left the Medical Center, Ratchet would most likely never be able to find him. The medic would have_ no idea _where to search. He most likely wouldn't have been so concerned if Orion wasn't at risk of _dying_.

True to his word, Voltlock ran around the corner, stopping right in front of Ratchet. His faceplate was extremely stern, and he was clearly trying, but failing, to keep his voice calm. He knew the risks just as well as his fellow medic did. "Ratchet, what were you _doing_?!"

Ratchet tried to find the right words to use, but he could think of none. His voice went quiet. "I don't know."

Voltlock looked like he wanted to say more, but instead started looking down the halls. His expression showed anger, but his optics glowed with only concern.

Ratchet didn't even think about what the Guilds of Cybertron would do to him. He was focused on finding his charge. He didn't notice his own sudden change in demeanor towards the sparkling.

Ratchet joined the search.

* * *

Orion walked down the hallways, almost inspecting everything he saw as he passed it. With a smile on his faceplate, he wandered aimlessly, unseen by any other Cybertronians around.

Everything was new to the sparkling. Without being trapped in someone's arms, he could move around freely, and discover. He wished to learn, and he had a chance to do so by walking on his own. There were no restrictions.

But, he was young. Only a sparkling. He didn't know what was right or wrong.

Orion let out a click that sounded like a laugh of enjoyment. Everything was new, unseen by him before then, and he wanted to see it all. If the only way he could learn was to wander aimlessly down the halls, he would gladly do so, but he wouldn't understand that yet. The young sparkling wandered over to a window, standing as tall as he could, just barely able to peek into it.

He could see outside. There were many Cybertronians out there, and they all looked so nice and friendly. The sky was clear, except for a few seekers flying through the air. Orion watched them until they were out of view.

A passerby noticed Orion looking through the window. Orion smiled endearingly and waved. The passerby stared, then frowned and strode away. Orion's smile disappeared momentarily, before it returned and he left the window to look around the Medical Center again. Another window would give him a different view of the planet's surface, so he started towards another one, practically skipping as he made his way towards one. But, Orion stumbled, bumping into someone's leg and falling down from the impact.

Orion shook his head, looking up to see Cybertronian, who had turned around and looked down at the sparkling sprawled beside his feet. The Cybertronian was older than Orion, not young enough to be considered a sparkling, but still young. His grey and purple frame was scraped and dirty, and seemed to have been for a long period of time. His blue optics watched Orion coldly for a moment, judging him, before he knelt down closer to the sparkling's optic level. "Hello."

Orion only stared. To most, the Cybertronian would look rather terrifying, even at his younger age, but Orion wasn't afraid.

"What is your name?" The Cybertronian continued, his question almost sounding more like a demand, and would have if it wasn't said with such a calm voice. He waited for a response, but he didn't know that Orion couldn't give one. The Cybertronian was right to assume that Orion was able to speak, as most sparklings at that age would be able to speak full sentences. However, Orion was not like most sparklings, and the Cybertronian was beginning to realize that as well. "Can you even talk?"

Orion still sat there. Those words meant nothing to him. Orion could not speak. He didn't understand what was being said to him.

"No?" The Cybertronian said, tone more condescending then friendly. He stood from his position, apparently satisfied by the sparkling's condition. "Well then, my name is D-16."

D-16 held out a hand for Orion to take. Orion blinked, then reached out and grasped D-16's fingers, letting himself get pulled to his feet. Orion took a moment to regain his footing, then once he had, he looked back to D-16 with a smile. D-16 let out a vaguely unimpressed hum before turning around and continuing on his way. Orion stayed still, then ran up to D-16, walking behind him with curious optics.

D-16 heard Orion following him, the sparkling's feet tapping lightly on the metal floor with every step. D-16 stopped again, looking back at the sparkling with a light glare. "What do you want?"

Orion did not answer. He only moved to stand next to D-16, looking up at him with a smile.

D-16's expression remained stern, and he eyed Orion suspiciously, then he allowed a smirk to appear on his faceplate. He nodded, continuing on his way. After taking a few steps, he looked over his shoulder to the sparkling who hadn't moved from that spot. D-16 smirk did not disappear. "Come along."

Orion's faceplate brightened, and he hurried next to his fellow Cybertronian, walking beside him in silence.

D-16 continued to where he wished to go, treating Orion as if he was just another passenger on an Astro Train. He did not always acknowledge the sparkling, but when he did, it was to see if he was still strolling along next to him. He was not bothered by the company, rather, he was mildly pleased. The sparkling next to him could not speak, and most likely could not understand what he said. D-16 knew that whatever he told the sparkling would never be repeated.

They stayed silent for a while longer as D-16 continued forward. It took a few Kliks, and he finally reached his destination.

The refueling station was almost empty. A group of Cybertronians were yelling in the corner of the room, laughing as they spoke. The newest Energon sorter was checking over a list of the amount left in stock, which was low. Only a few Energon cubes were visible in the pile. The only other Cybertronians there were D-16 and Orion themselves.

The sorter looked up from his list to see a young miner approaching him, a serious look in his optics. The miner stopped a few steps away from him, then spoke. "I would like a cube of Energon."

The sorter smiled and nodded, turning around to pick up a cube before giving it to the young miner. He did not thank him, just walked off to the other end of the room to drink in peace. The sorter was about to continued reading the list, when he saw someone that he recognized.

The sorter grinned. "Hello, little sparkling!"

Orion clicked, sending the sorter a wave, having not yet joined D-16 at the other side of the refueling station.

"Where's your medic?" The sorter asked. "Did he get that miner to watch you?"

Though he did not understand what the sorter said, Orion followed his gaze, which landed on D-16 standing away from everyone, looking at a screen that displayed what the population perceived as 'interesting facts about Cybertron'.

Orion grinned, saying nothing. He turned around, leaving the sorter standing there without a response. The sorter shrugged, then walked into a room where spare Energon was stored, planning on refilling the stockpile. Orion began making his way over to D-16, but was stopped by a large foot stepping in his path.

Orion looked up, seeing a group of a few mechs and a femme watching him with crazed optics. The largest mech stood before Orion, hunched over slightly. The others were trying not to laugh, either leaning against the wall or each other for support so they didn't fall over. The scent of High Grade enveloped them, but they didn't seem to notice. If they did, they enjoyed it.

"Heeeey, liddle kid," The largest mech said, words slurring together. His grin was wicked. "Whad are you doin' here all by yerself?"

Orion blinked. These Cybertronians were weird, and they smelt bad. Orion tried to go around the mech, but he stepped in front of him again.

"Don leave, we jus wanna talk to yuh," He continued, then laughed. Orion took a step back, and the large mech took a step forward. "We jus wanna hav fun wid yuh."

Orion tried to get away again, but the group had surrounded him while he was focused on the speaker. They came closer, some laughing, some just smiling like a caged and starved scraplet about to catch it's prey. Orion swallowed, unable to call out to anyone for help. He stepped back. They stepped closer. They were within arms reach. They grabbed his shoulders. He couldn't break free.

"Leave him alone."

The group looked forward, apparently having a hard time focusing on the Cybertronian who spoke. D-16 glared hard at the mechs and femmes holding Orion hostage. The largest, most overcharged mech, spoke with an extremely slurred voice. "Whaaat?"

"I _said_," D-16 growled threateningly, taking a step towards them. "Leave. Him. _Alone_."

The mech frowned, practically shoving Orion into the center of the group as he stumbled over to the younger Cybertronian who confronted him. He leaned down closer to D-16's level, breath stained with a revolting stench from the numerous cubes of High Grade he practically inhaled. "Whad 're you gunna do 'bout it?"

D-16 wasted no time, proptly kicking the mech directly in the knee, _hard_. The mech crumbled to the ground with a hiss of pain, swearing under his breath. The rest of the overcharged stared in shock, before another mech tried to make a move. D-16 was quicker, darting behind the mech and punching him in the back with a loud crack. Something obviously broke. The two mechs were down on the floor.

D-16, satisfied, turned to glare at the rest of the group, optics almost glowing red. He looked absolutely _terrifying_.

Even overcharged, they knew not to mess with someone who could take two of their strongest members in a sparkbeat. They let go of Orion's arms, and the sparkling ran over to D-16, latching onto his arm. D-16 allowed Orion to hold his hand as they left the refueling station, though he didn't really want to.

"Sparkling," D-16 said sternly, Orion letting go of his hand at the tone of his voice. "Never let someone take advantage of you like that. _Never_."

D-16 suddenly looked uncomfortable, slowly rubbing at his chest. Apparently, the fighting had either injured or strained him, though he couldn't tell which. Orion tilted his head, only able to see what was causing D-16 pain after he removed his hand.

Orion blinked up at D-16, staring at a scar that trailed directly across his chest. D-16 followed the sparkling's gaze, then frowned. He remembered how he got it. There was a lot of pain, and it was all so sudden. Orion clicked once, getting D-16 attention. D-16 was silent for a moment before he began to speak.

"The mine had collapsed," D-16 said. He unconsciously tracing a finger along the wound. "It was a long time ago. I was still a sparkling."

D-16 appeared lost in his thoughts. He slowly stopped walking, standing in the middle of the hall. Orion remained next to him.

"A fellow miner and I came to this Medical Center. We tried to collect Energon, as our own stockpile had been destroyed. A sorter refused to spare any, even though some were dying from a lack of Energon," D-16 continued, voice lowering as he spoke. "Cybertron is becoming a home for the sparkless. It shouldn't be this way. Something has to be done."

D-16 innocence had long since left him. He had seen death many times, even risking it as he worked beneath Cybertron. It had hardened him, whether he realized it or not. He was changing into something dangerous.

A hand placed on his returned D-16 to reality. He looked down at Orion, who was watching him curiously. D-16 remained silent for a moment, then he began walking away. Orion went after him, but D-16 stopped him. Leaving Orion standing there, D-16 walked over to the Medical Center's main exit, turning around to say one last thing to the sparkling he never learned the name of. "Don't fall prey to the caste."

With that, D-16 left. Orion stayed still, having not understood anything that had been said to him. D-16 wasn't there anymore, so Orion was on his own again. A smile returned to his faceplate, and he was off again, walking back the way he came.

It took less than a Klik to get back to the refueling station. Orion stepped in, noticing the group of overcharged Cybertronians give him a glare before returning to yelling obscenities at each other. Orion didn't approach them. They were mean.

Orion's smile didn't leave his faceplate. He continued through the refueling station, giving the sorter a small wave as he walked by, which the sorter returned. He had not seen what had transpired in the refueling station earlier, since he had left before it started. Orion continued walking, until he had left the refueling station again.

He had seen these hallways before, while walking with D-16. He was unfazed by his lack of company, using it to do what he wished as he walked down the halls, looking for things that were new to him.

There was a series of loud thumps, evenly spaced apart, as a large Cybertronian mech walked around the corner. The mech stood in front of Orion, preventing the sparkling from passing through. He held something in his hands, though Orion couldn't see from his position. The mech was black and white, with deep blue optics.

The corners of the mech's mouth twitched upwards as he took a few steps towards Orion, kneeling down in what appeared to be an attempt to look less intimidating, though Orion was never fearful in the first place. The mech's faceplate shuttered for a Klik before regaining it's previous expression.

"Hey, little one," The mech said quietly, placing a careful hand on the sparkling's shoulder. "Ratchet taking good care of you?"

Orion's head tilted slightly, and he said nothing.

"You're a good little sparkling," The mech continued, voice dropping even further until it was just above a whisper. "Very good."

The mech reached out with his other hand, holding out a datapad. Orion watched the mech questioningly, before he took the datapad out of the mech's hands and looked over it with interest. The mech chuckled.

"He should see that," The mech continued, almost murmuring. "If he doesn't remember, he will."

Orion looked back to the mech, optics studying him closely. The mech then shook his head, a wide smirk appearing on his faceplate.

The mech twitched, patting the sparkling on the helm before tracing two fingers along his cheek. The mech stood up, watching the sparkling a moment longer before he began walking away, while giving his parting words. "Take care, Orion."

The sparkling blinked. He recognized that word. He heard it multiple times, always directed towards him, but he didn't know what it meant. The voice that the strange mech used wasn't the voice that normally said that word. Orion remembered the voice. It was familiar and comforting, not like the strange mech, who was angry and filled with static. He wanted to go back to whoever owned the voice.

Orion let out a barely audible whine, taking a step back and looking around. The area around him was different. It didn't register to him the he didn't know where he was, only that he was alone.

Things that were new or different meant nothing to him anymore. They only added to his fear. He didn't know what they were. They were unfamiliar. Orion clutched the datapad to his chest and he began making his way forward.

He turned around, walking slowly through the halls. He went to turn the corner, but his optics widened at the sight of a tall femme standing there. Orion quickly went back, unnoticed by the femme. Orion took a few steps backwards, and bumped into something. Orion turned around, and saw a large mech looking down at him. Orion stiffened, then hurried into what he hoped was an empty hall.

Suddenly, all of his fellow Cybertronians looked giant and threatening.

He managed to evade the optics of two Cybertronian mechs having an intense conversation. They were yelling, very loudly. Other Cybertronians made a wise decision to stay out of their way. Orion covered his audio receptors. They were too loud.

Everything was _too loud_.

Orion tried to find peace by entering a seemingly abandoned room, but realizing too late that he was not by himself. A medic with hands replaced by saws and drills was hovering over a mech lying on an operating table, Energon pouring from the large incision onto the floor. He escaped, but not before slipping on spilt Energon, hands and knees drenched in it. Swallowing back a cough, the sparkling ran out of the room, each step he took trailing Energon behind him.

He had to stop. He was gasping for breath. He slowed down until his feet were firmly planted on the floor, hand against the wall to stabilize himself. Orion looked at his hand, moving it just enough to see blue dripping down from where he touched.

He coughed, harshly. He had strained himself far too much. The constant running and walking and moving around had taken so much out of him. He was very tired. Even so, he continued forward. That was the only way he could go.

Orion walked for a while, long enough for the Energon he fell in to have dried off him completely, though they left visible stains on his frame. New things gave him no comfort. He wanted to go back to comfort, but he couldn't find it.

For the first time in his existence, lubricant threatened to fall from his optics.

He didn't know what to do.

He was lost.

Alone.

"Orion!"

The voice.

Orion spun around, spotting his obviously relieved caretaker at the other end of the hall. Orion's optics glowed, and his smile returned as he let out a click of pure happiness.

Orion ran up to Ratchet, the medic immediately scooping the sparkling up in his arms. Orion wrapped his small arms around Ratchet's neck, a whimper leaving his mouth. He found him. The owner of the voice.

Ratchet held him close. He was safe. Orion was safe. The thought of the bad things that could have happened forcibly left his processor. Ratchet's grip on the sparkling loosened, and he looked over Orion in concern. His optics widened when he saw the Energon covering his frame. He quickly scanned him for injuries, but found none. Ratchet hesitated, trying to think of a reason for Orion to have Energon attached the outside of his frame, but could think of nothing.

Orion paused, then held out the datapad for Ratchet to take. Ratchet picked it up, just holding it in his hand, paying it no mind. Orion let out another wimper, and the medic allowed the sparkling to embrace him again.

Ratchet started an uplink. "Voltlock, I found him."

"_Thank the _maker_!_" Voltlock replied, stress leaving his voice at an admirable rate. "_I'm almost at your room now. Meet you two there in a Klik._"

The uplink was dropped. Ratchet stood, the sparkling still held against him. Orion began shaking involuntarily, a whine escaping his throat, head buried into Ratchet's chest. As Ratchet walked, he caressed Orion's back, trying to calm him down. He found himself whispering soothing words to the sparkling, that everything was alright.

Ratchet turned a corner, and saw Voltlock pacing in front of the door to his quarters. Voltlock's optics darted to him, and he hurried over. "Is he alright?"

"I scanned him, he's fine," Ratchet said, though mostly to reassure himself.

Voltlock let a hand run over his faceplate, leaning against the wall. Voltlock let out a relieved chuckle. "No offense, Ratchet, but you are the _worst_ caretaker I have ever met."

Ratchet, uncharacteristically, said nothing, only rolling his optics at the comment. Orion once again began playing with the medic's fingers, and Ratchet didn't stop him.

Orion looked up at Ratchet with a smile, and he returned it, completely sincere.


	6. Chapter 5

It was quiet.

Ratchet sat on his berth, looking over the scanner in his forearm. The results of Orion's most recent test was displayed, revealing that the sparkling hadn't contracted any viruses during his little 'adventure'.

Ratchet embraced the silence with open arms. After Ratchet found Orion, he had spoken to Voltlock for a moment before his fellow medic left to visit one of his patients. Ratchet had returned to his quarters, sparkling in tow.

Orion was exhausted. Ratchet assumed that running around the Medical Center had tired him out. Soon after finding him, Orion drifted off in his caretaker's arms, leaving Ratchet to his thoughts.

Ratchet didn't expect himself to be so concerned about the sparkling's survival. He never thought he would react so frantically. He _wouldn't _have if Orion had left a few Orbital Cycles ago, but in such little time Orion had made an impact in Ratchet's life. It was something he didn't understand, and to be honest he didn't think he ever would.

The door opened, and Ratchet looked up to see Voltlock. Voltlock walked into the room, smiling down at the sparkling's recharging form before looking over at Ratchet. "Have you got a Klik?"

Ratchet blinked, then nodded. He stood up, then gently placed Orion on his berth. He checked over the spark monitor, making sure that it was wirelessly connected to his scanner's screen. With one last look at the sparkling, Ratchet followed Voltlock out of the room, locking the door behind him.

Voltlock smirked, but said nothing. He only began walking down the hallways, Ratchet by his side. They didn't speak, and Ratchet wondered where they were going. After a few moments, Voltlock turned a corner, leading Ratchet into the refueling station.

Ratchet watched Voltlock look around, then walked over to the other side of the room. Ratchet waited for a moment, then followed. Voltlock sat down at a table, gesturing for Ratchet to sit across from him. Ratchet hesitated, then did what he was asked.

Ratchet waited for his fellow medic to say something, but Voltlock remained silent, looking at what was going on in the refueling station. It was busier that normal, but there weren't a _lot_ of Cybertronians there. For once, there was a line that lead to the Energon stockpile. Even though he had just sat down, Voltlock stood up, looking down at his fellow medic with a casual expression on his faceplate. "I'm going to get a cube of High Grade. You want something?"

"A regular cube is fine," Ratchet replied, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. Voltlock smirked.

"Always so formal," Voltlock said with a laugh in his voice. "You know that you're allowed to treat yourself once in a while, right?"

"I don't consider impairing my processor with _High Grade_ as 'treating myself'," Ratchet countered, crossing his arms. Voltlock rolled his optics, then he made his way to the Energon stockpile. The line was rather long, so Ratchet knew he would have to wait a while.

To pass the time, he glanced around the room. One of the lights was flickering, apparently because of a broken Energon line, leaving the room dimly lit. The group of Cybertronians that normally yelled at each other in the corner of the room were nowhere to be seen.

Voltlock returned quicker than Ratchet had anticipated. He had a cube in each hand, one High Grade pink, one regular blue. Voltlock handed the regular to Ratchet, who took it with both hands, while Voltlock kept the High Grade for himself. Ratchet placed his cube on the table in front of him.

Voltlock sat silently for a moment, before he took a sip of his High Grade. He watched Ratchet with a serious expression, then spoke. "You okay?"

Ratchet looked up at Voltlock, watching him curiously. "Yes. Why?"

"Well, the whole thing with Orion earlier..." Voltlock trailed off, trying to think of a good way to finish that sentence. Finding none, he continued anyway. "You seemed pretty... upset."

The corners of Ratchet's mouth twitched downwards, but he still looked calm. "I'm fine."

Voltlock nodded, not pressing the matter. He knew that Ratchet was not, indeed, _fine_. Ratchet looked back down. The Energon cube Voltlock had gotten for Ratchet was left untouched. Voltlock frowned. The silence was beginning to unnerve him.

Ratchet's forearm shifted, and he looked over Orion's vitals to make sure he was still alright, even though he would be automatically alerted if something was wrong. Ratchet's arm returned to normal, and the silent continued. Voltlock took a big gulp of High Grade, then he started another conversation.

"Hey, you know that hacking incident a couple Orbital Cycles ago?" Voltlock asked. Ratchet looked up at him, and nodded. Voltlock continued. "Well, they tried again."

Ratchet frowned. "Did you identify them?"

Voltlock shook his head. "No. The firewall stopped them again, but they actually got _through _it for a Klik or two. The only thing we could confirm is that the hacker is trying to access a medical file, but we still don't know _whose_."

Voltlock leaned back on his seat, crossing his arms. He was clearly annoyed by the whole event. Unauthorized access of the medical files could have disastrous results. Important files could be altered or deleted, resulting in the loss of someone life, or making someone severely ill. Even changing the amount of a cure to inject could badly affect someone, especially if they were already weak from containing a virus. Voltlock felt helpless to stop it, and that made him angry.

Ratchet heard Voltlock's internal fans activate, which meant that he was beginning to overheat. Ratchet spoke up in an attempt to calm his fellow medic down.

"You'll catch them," Ratchet encouraged. Voltlock looked to Ratchet, skeptically. Ratchet spoke again. "Even if they _do_ get through the firewalls, you'll be able to track them down. You can always make a backup of the files, incase they alter one."

Ratchet shrugged, finally taking sip of the Energon cube in his hands. Voltlock watched Ratchet for a moment, before he relaxed and smirked.

"Well, _you're_ an optimist today," Voltlock chirped, back to his regular 'humorous' self. Ratchet only rolled his optics.

No words were exchanged for almost a Breem after that. The two medics just sat there, merely enjoying the company of someone they could stand.

Ratchet pinched the bridge between his optics. He was tired. The search for Orion had drained him. He had checked everywhere he could think of, but only found the sparkling when he thought he never would. The relief he felt after he spotted his charge was overwhelming. Ratchet smirked slightly at the memory of Orion's face once they saw each other again. The sparkling had been so _happy_.

"You like him."

Ratchet looked up at the speaker, smile vanishing. Voltlock watched Ratchet with amusement. Ratchet raised an optic ridge. "What?"

"You like Orion," Voltlock said. Before Ratchet could say anything, Voltlock continued. "Don't try to deny it. I've seen the way you've been treating him lately. You almost blew a gasket when you couldn't find him. Frag, the way you checked over him before we left showed how much he's grown on you."

Ratchet opened his mouth to reply, then closed it. There was nothing false in what Voltlock was saying.

He didn't really understand it. He had originally been resentful of Orion's very existence, but he didn't know anymore. He had never been so close to anyone in a long time. He had forgotten what it was like to care for someone in the way he cared for Orion.

It felt good.

With a small smile, Ratchet finished the rest of his Energon, letting the cube sit idly on his lap. He nodded, unsure of what he could say.

Voltlock downed the rest of his High Grade, placing the empty cube beside him. He was glad that Ratchet found someone that meant something to him. He could clearly see how being a caretaker had changed Ratchet for the better. It was difficult at first, since Ratchet had never dealt with someone of such a young age before, but he had gotten the hang of it in time.

But Orion's safety was what had concerned Voltlock before. He wasn't worried anymore, though. He knew that Ratchet could handle the sparkling on his own. Voltlock almost wished Ratchet hadn't gotten used to Orion so quickly. He would have loved to make a joke about how he would take the sparkling away if Ratchet couldn't handle him. Voltlock frowned at the thought, closing his optics. His expression changed into something rather sad.

"He's going to leave someday," Voltlock said suddenly. Ratchet eyed him curiously, and he continued. "Orion _is _going to get better, and the Guilds of Cybertron _are_ going to assign him to a Guild for proper training."

Ratchet didn't respond. He glared at the empty cube in his hands. He already knew. Whether he wanted it or not, the thought was always in the back of his processor. Orion wasn't his. Orion would never be his.

He was upset with himself for allowing himself to get so attached to Orion, even when he knew that he was eventually going to be taken away. That may have been the reason he shunned the sparkling in the first place. He had already lost someone before. He didn't want to be hurt again.

Voltlock frowned, watching various emotions play across his fellow medic's faceplate. He felt bad for Ratchet. Though he had never gone through what Ratchet was, he could sympathize with him and understand what he was going through.

Voltlock's optics gazed past Ratchet and his smile returned. He gestured for Ratchet to look behind him, and he did so. Orion was peeking around the corner of the refueling station entrance. Ratchet turned around fully as the sparkling stepped towards him. Ratchet watched Orion, slightly confused. He was certain he had locked his quarters door behind him.

Orion walked up to Ratchet with a whine. He placed a hand on Ratchet's leg pleadingly, and the medic complied, lifting the sparkling into his arms. Orion went silent, content in his caretaker's grasp.

Ratchet looked up when he heard Voltlock laughing. "See? You like him."

Ratchet watched Voltlock with an optic ridge raised. Voltlock's laugh died down to a chuckle, but it was still there. Ratchet frowned. "You're overcharged."

Voltlock smirked, once again leaning back. The scent of High Grade left his vocalizer as he spoke. "Me? No, I only had one cube."

He chuckled again. Ratchet stared at him, incredulously. "You're _overcharged_."

Voltlock only snickered. He moved to the side slightly, knocking over his empty cube so it clattered to the floor. A few Cybertronians looked over at Voltlock, clearly judging him harshly.

"That's it, come on," Ratchet stood up, using his free hand to heave Voltlock into a standing position. "I'm taking you to your quarters."

"Oh, it's fine, Ratch'," Voltlock said as Ratchet picked up the two empty cubes and placed them aside. "I can get there by myself."

He stumbled slightly, but remained upright. Ratchet grabbed his arm, and Voltlock allowed himself to be lead away. "Yes, I'm _sure_. Come along."

Voltlock made a noise that sounded like a mixture of a cackle and a choking scraplet. Heads turned towards the medic making a complete fool of himself, and Ratchet pulled Voltlock out of the refueling station. Orion glanced over at Voltlock, curious as to why he was acting so strangely. Ratchet said nothing, dragging Voltlock through the halls and into the Medical Quarters, walking up to Voltlock's room.

Voltlock's laughing quieted down, so the other medics in the hallway stopped staring at the sight before them and went on their way. Ratchet grumbled something under his breath as the door to Voltlock's quarters opened. Ratchet nudged Voltlock towards his room, and made certain that he was inside before he spoke. "Go recharge."

"Whatever you say, Ratch'" Voltlock replied with a smirk.

Satisfied, Ratchet turned around and started towards his quarters.

"Oh, and Ratchet?" Voltlock added, and said medic turned back around to face the speaker. Voltlock smiled. "You're still the worst caretaker I've ever met."

Ratchet rolled his optics, though a smirk appeared on his faceplate as well. Voltlock retreated to his room, his door shutting behind him. Ratchet shook his head. Voltlock was going to have a processor ache within the next few Astro Cycles.

Orion looked back up at Ratchet, unsure of what had just transpired. Ratchet's smirk changed into a smile, and he started down the hallway, making his way to his quarters. Orion let out a breath of content, snuggling deeper into Ratchet's arms.

The door opened, and Ratchet walked inside of his quarters. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what he should do. Perhaps he should run a final scan over Orion and go recharge. With that plan in mind, Ratchet walked over to the sparkling's berth. Ratchet looked down, and saw that Orion was already recharging peacefully in his arms. With a soft smile, Ratchet placed Orion down on the berth. He wouldn't bother with the scan, just this once.

Ratchet sat down on his own berth, his joints creaking from his exhaustion. He glanced over to Orion's form, making sure that he was still there, then he allowed himself to relax. He blinked a few times, his vision blurring from his tiredness.

Ratchet was prepared to go into recharge, but as he laid down on his berth, something on the desk caught his optics.

The datapad.

Orion had given it to Ratchet when the medic had found him, but he was so relieved that the sparkling was alright that he paid it no mind, only setting it aside and doing a full scan of Orion to make sure that he hadn't caught a virus. Ratchet wondered where Orion could have found it. He didn't believe that Orion would have stolen it, so he must have found it on the ground while he was exploring the halls.

Ratchet stayed silent for a moment, debating on whether he should activate the datapad or not. It didn't belong to him. He shouldn't look through someone else's information. He shouldn't bother going out of his way to return it, either.

On the other hand, it was more than likely that someone had their name recorded in the datapad. Ratchet wouldn't have to go through the trouble of going around and asking who it belonged to. He could just hand it to the owner if he passed by them in the hallway.

Giving in to the temptation, Ratchet stood and walked over to the desk, picking up the datapad in one hand and returning to his seat. The datapad was scratched up, as if it was clawed at by something. It was cracked in the corner, as if someone threw it at a wall. All of the damage seemed to have been caused a long time ago. Ratchet raised an optic ridge, but said nothing.

Ratchet pressed a few sections on the screen, and it buzzed to life, glowing dimly from a lack of use. It took a few Kliks to load, and when it did, it worked rather quickly, multiple folders and files popping onto the screen.

The datapad was filled with medical files, from patients to medics alike. The cracks on the surface of the screen seemed to draw a path, scratches directly over certain logs and data paths. Ratchet followed the lightest crack, which covered a folder containing patient files. He opened the folder, and many patient logs opened on the screen. Ratchet looked them over.

The first one was information on a mech gladiator, name recorded as 'Fireblast'. He had gone through surgery on his arm after a metal stake had pierced directly through a main Energon line. The operation was successful, with no further visits recorded.

Second; a Energon sorter named 'Bumper Crest'. An unrecorded accident damaged his processor, leaving him mentally unstable. He has to be constantly monitored by a medic. The operation was successful, many further visits recorded from him being restrained after throwing random fits in public areas.

The datapad's screen glitched as Ratchet read on. He tapped the side of it harshly, and it was clear once again. Ratchet continued.

Next was 'Chipset', a mechanic. One of the machines he was working on exploded and lodged metal shards into his chest. Operation was successful, one further visit recorded from chest pains.

A seeker named 'Anchor'. He was caught in a Rust Storm, crashed into a pool of raw Energon which disintegrated some vital components. Operation was successful, no further visits.

'Skylight', femme archivist. Mine collapse, severe internal damage. Operation unsuccessful.

The screen glitched once again, directly after that patient file. Ratchet was unable to read past it. Ratchet noticed that Skylight's file had a circular scratch around her name. To whoever owned the datapad, that femme must have been significant to them.

Ratchet heard a cough. He pried his optics away from what he was reading, looking over at Orion, who had woken up once again. Orion coughed again, pushing himself into a sitting position.

Ratchet set the datapad onto the desk, standing up and walking over to his charge. Ratchet placed a gentle hand on Orion's head to check his temperature. Ratchet frowned. It was still too low. He ran a scan over Orion, just to double check the sparkling's health. The scan's results were the same as before. No viruses were detected.

Ratchet nodded to himself, forearm shifting back to normal as Orion looked troubled. Ratchet raised an optic ridge.

"Rrrr-" Orion shivered.

Ratchet assumed that the sparkling was still cold. He walked over to the wall to adjust the heating. He turned the temperature up, then made certain that the door was locked. He _really_ didn't want to risk Orion getting out again.

"Ratchet."

He froze.

Ratchet slowly turned to face the sparkling, wondering if he heard what he thought he heard.

As if to answer his caretaker's unspoken question, Orion smiled and chirped up again. "Ratchet!"

Ratchet stared. His charge giggled, hopping off of his berth and running over to embrace his caretaker's leg. Ratchet didn't make any move to stop him, only standing there and watching him in shock. Things that Orion should not have been doing, walking, talking, _living_, he had been able to do. Ratchet was more surprised by this event, perhaps because the first word his charge had ever spoken was his name.

Orion said something that sounded like complete gibberish, hands raised up towards Ratchet's arms. Ratchet knelt down, picking the sparkling up before he stood again. Orion shifted into a comfortable position as he was cradled in his caretaker's arms, cooing as he cuddled into Ratchet's chest.

Ratchet stayed standing in the middle of the room, his charge resting noisily in his arms. Orion was having what appeared to be a one-sided conversation with his caretaker, muttering unintelligibly while looking up at him or glancing around the room. He appeared much less excited than he was earlier that Orbital Cycle, where he was running around the room. He was only rambling in a way no one could understand.

They remained in that position for a while. Ratchet waited for Orion to tire himself out, but the sparkling kept on going, without even a hint of requiring recharge. Ratchet expected that Orion was going to make him stay up all night once again, but he didn't mind.

Orion was going to be alright.


	7. Chapter 6

Time passed quickly after Orion first learned to talk.

It was surprisingly easy for the sparkling to grasp onto words. It didn't take very long for Orion to learn how to speak full sentences and have actual conversations with others. Though, Ratchet soon realized that he needed to teach Orion boundaries.

One incident ended up with a medic refusing to speak to Ratchet ever again, because a young sparkling didn't know that he wasn't supposed to repeat what was said behind closed doors. Ratchet quickly explained to Orion that if someone didn't want him to tell anything to anyone, then he shouldn't, unless it was absolutely necessary.

At one point, Orion had babbled on about a friend he had made, though he didn't know the name, and a double shaded mech, but Ratchet paid the ramblings no mind, as he believed that it was just the sparkling's imagination. Orion slowly stopped speaking about them, eventually not talking about them at all, seemingly having forgotten them. The stories had been spoken while he rested in Ratchet's arms, but the stories gradually stopped being told, as the sparkling was hardly ever held.

Orion no longer needed to be in Ratchet's arms to fall into recharge, being able to doze off on his own berth. That was a burden off of Ratchet's shoulders. He had lost many Orbital Cycles of recharge because of the sparkling's restlessness. Orion stopped asking for Ratchet to carry him anywhere, which gave the medic an extra arm to use.

Ratchet let Orion keep the datapad, seeing as the sparkling loved to use it so much. Orion didn't care about the fact that it was scratched or dented, as it was still almost completely functional, besides the occasional glitch. It was the use of the datapad that revealed to Ratchet how much Orion wanted to learn.

"Ratchet, there's so much information on here!" Orion said, voice rising in excitement as his optics scanned over the datapad. "Did you know that there are tiny creatures who travel around the universe in a little blue box?"

Ratchet mumbled a response under his breath, not really paying attention to what Orion was saying. The sparkling could go on for Astro Cycles about something he had read, so Ratchet was used to drowning him out and focusing in his work while Orion retold what he had learned.

"And there's this other planet with a bunch of small organics living on it!" Orion continued, a large smile on his faceplate. "And some of them can shoot lightning out of tools!"

"Yes, yes, that's very nice..." Ratchet muttered absentmindedly, using his own datapad to finish up on some reports he needed to write and file. While doing his work took double the time it did before Orion was placed in his care, Ratchet didn't know how he could end up going back to the way things were. He didn't really remember what his life was like before Orion came into it.

Ratchet set his datapad down, letting out a breath of exasperation. He was almost completely finished, but he decided that the rest of his work could wait a few Kliks. Ratchet looked over to Orion, who was still rattling off about what he was reading. Orion enjoyed learning new things, which is why he tried to do so as often as he possibly could. Ratchet always made sure that Orion was being watched when he was attending to a patient, so the sparkling never got into too much trouble. While waiting for his caretaker to return, Orion would search through his datapad, or manage to convince whoever was watching him to tell him a story.

Orion hummed softly as he read, then he stopped. He blinked, going completely silent as he read over something that had popped up on the screen.

Ratchet immediately noticed the lack of noise coming from the sparkling, and he looked over at his charge. Orion gazed over something on his datapad with a confused expression on his faceplate. Ratchet raised an optic ridge. "What's wrong?"

Orion glanced up at Ratchet, then looked back down at the datapad. "It's nothing. A file just opened up on it's own. Something about a mine collapse. I think the datapad is glitching again."

Ratchet watched Orion for a moment longer, then he shook his head. He thought he recognized the event Orion was talking about, but dismissed the feeling. He had dealt with many injuries that were caused by mine collapses, so he just shrugged and let it go.

Ratchet's optics focused on his datapad. He sat thoughtfully for a moment, then he reached out and pressed a few places on the screen. The datapad buzzed lightly, then powered down.

Ratchet stood up, walking towards the exit of his shared quarters, Orion watching him curiously.

"Orion," Ratchet said, opening the door. He turned back to the sparkling, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

Orion's faceplate brightened. "Outside?"

Ratchet's smile faded for a moment, but quickly returned, though not as large as before. "I'm afraid not."

Orion blinked, averting his optics. His expression fell, though he tried to hide it because he didn't want to seem selfish. That was the response he always received. He wasn't allowed to leave the Medical Center. Orion wanted to explore the rest of Cybertron, but whenever he wanted to, he was told that he couldn't. He didn't understand.

Ratchet watched Orion for a moment, then spoke again. "Not _yet_."

Orion looked back up at Ratchet, a wide smile reappearing on his faceplate. Orion hopped off of his berth, setting his datapad on the desk and he hurried next to his caretaker.

Ratchet didn't really have anywhere to go. He left the door unlocked, as he didn't plan on staying out for too long. He still had to perform a check up on Orion's systems. But that could wait.

Orion liked to go for walks through the halls, because he was able to look out of the windows and see outside. Orion occasionally felt envious of the Cybertronians who could walk around where they pleased, and wondered why they didn't cherish the fact that they could. He wondered why they didn't stop and look up at the sky, just to enjoy the view. Orion believed that they lived life freely.

Orion suddenly remembered something, and looked up at Ratchet with a grin. "You know what Voltlock said, Ratchet?"

"No," Ratchet answered, smiling back. "What did he say?"

"He said that an Orbital Cycle ago he had to reattach an engineer's arm, because the engineer accidentally blew something up and it got knocked off," Orion said, giggling. "He said the engineer's audio receptors lit up when he talked."

Ratchet raised an optic ridge. "Oh, really?"

Orion nodded, pausing to glance out of a nearby window before catching up to his caretaker. Walking with Ratchet made Orion feel happy. Spending time with him was something that he really liked to do. While he and Ratchet saw each other almost all the time, it was moments like that when Orion felt like he really _meant_ something to his caretaker, that he would take the time to spend even one Klik with him.

Ratchet felt someone trying to uplink him. He accepted, expecting that it would be Voltlock on the other line, but it was a medical assistant. Not Ratchet's, as he didn't have one, but an assistant none the less. They said something rapidly over the uplink, and Ratchet stopped walking. One of his patients in Sector A, room 16, was flatlining.

Ratchet was about to rush to his patient's room, when he remembered who was with him. He had never brought Orion with him for something this severe. Orion had witnessed a follow up or a check up, but never an attempted revival. If Ratchet failed, the patient would offline. He didn't want Orion to see that.

"Orion?" Ratchet said softly, kneeling down to the sparkling's level. "I need you to go back to our quarters right now. I have to go see a patient."

Orion's optics widened in concern. "Are they hurt?"

"Well..." Ratchet tried to find a way to say it in a way that wouldn't frighten his charge. "His spark is really sick right now, and I have to go give it a cure."

Orion nodded, looking very determined. "Okay. Hurry, Ratchet!"

Ratchet nodded, standing from his position and quickly making his way around the corner. The operating room wasn't far. He had to stabilize the patient as soon as possible, and explaining that to the sparkling had only wasted time, whether Ratchet wanted to admit it or not.

Orion was certain that his caretaker would be able to cure the patient's spark so they wouldn't be sick anymore. With a smile, Orion turned around to head back to his and Ratchet's room. Orion had been shown the layout of that floor, so he knew where everything there was, as long as he didn't go up or down a flight of stairs. Orion began walking back, knowing exactly were he was going.

While he was walking, he heard some metal shift. Orion paused, then looked down the hallway to his left. He didn't see anything unusual. He shrugged, and was about to continued walking when he heard footsteps coming from farther down the left hallway. Orion stood there for a moment, then he began walking to where he had heard the noises.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No one was in that hallway. Orion was about to head back and return to his shared quarters, when he saw something that he had never seen before.

There was a passage in the wall. Orion stared at the doorway. He _knew _it hadn't been there before. Orion had walked the halls with Ratchet more times than he could count. The doorway _shouldn't_ have been there.

Orion stood there, wondering what he was supposed to do. Ratchet had told him to go back to their room, but the passage was practically taunting him, tempting him to come inside. Orion looked around the halls. He didn't see anyone there, so he couldn't ask anyone why there was a passage way in the middle of the hall. The doorway wasn't listed in the Medical Centers most recent schematics. Orion wanted to know why.

He stepped inside.

It was dark. Orion's optics quickly adjusted, and he saw that he had entered a tunnel. Orion blinked, squinting slightly to get a better look at the walls. The metal was faded, and covered in dust. Orion looked down, and saw that the floor was faded as well, but the only difference was that there were footprints in the dust. Someone had been there recently. They may have been the one who opened the door. Orion hesitated, wondering if he should go back. After a moment, Orion decided, and went forward.

There was a loud bang, the lights going out completely. Orion looked behind him, and saw that the door had closed. It was too late to change his mind. Orion watched the door for a moment longer, then he continued down the passage.

Orion had walked for almost a Breem. The tunnel was still going, and he kept descending lower and lower into Cybertron. He thought about going back and trying to get out, but then he saw a light. The tunnel didn't go on forever. With that in mind, Orion made his way towards the light.

It took a few Kliks before Orion finally reached the entrance of a room. The lighting was a dim red, but it was much easier to see than in complete darkness. Orion looked around. Multiple pieces of metal and poles were scattered everywhere, some small and circular, some large and boxy. Orion had never seen anything like it. It was almost like primitive beams that were used to keep a building standing.

Orion heard a sound coming from the other end of the room. He tilted his head, then advanced towards where the noise came from. He heard it again, and again. Orion walked around each of the beams, ending up in almost the middle of the room. He heard the noise again, coming from in front of him. Orion looked around, then he saw something move in the corner of his optic.

Orion hid behind one of the beams, peeking around it to see who was there. At first, he saw nothing, and he was beginning to think it was his imagination, when he heard the sound again, much louder than before. Orion's optics locked onto a figure moving around a large machine. The figure was hunched over, pressing buttons and connecting wires on the machine's console. Orion watched the figure curiously, wondering what they were doing.

The machine started beeping, some of it's buttons starting to glow. The figure continued pressing more buttons, and the sound began to come from all around the room, getting louder and louder. Orion blinked, then he stepped out from his hiding place and into the open.

"Hello?" Orion called, watching as the figure froze at his voice. "Who are you?"

The figure didn't appear to reply, but if they did, they couldn't be heard over the loud screeches and clangs that resounded throughout the room. After a moment, the figure spun around, running away from the sparkling who had been following them. Orion made a move to go after him, but decided against it. If they had a secret, he wasn't going to force them into telling him. They didn't have to tell anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. That's what Ratchet had taught him.

Orion shrugged, and turned around to leave, but was met with a large lever that hadn't been there a moment ago. Orion stood still, unsure of what to do. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch it, but it moved out of the floor, shaking the ground as it moved with a loud creak of protest.

The room hissed, steam rising from multiple poles and beams stationed around him. Ever so slowly, they began to shift, revealing to Orion that they were not what he thought they were.

He was in an underground power station.

It had clearly been abandoned a long time before, as some of the machines were missing pieces and the gears slowly started to turn, having been forgotten. Perhaps the Medical Center wasn't always there, built on top of the uninhabited power station. Or maybe it was part of a back up system installed into the Medical Centers hardware. Orion didn't know. The gears continued turning. Machines hummed with power. A large masher was positioned directly above Orion, and began to rapidly descend.

With a gasp, Orion ran out of the way, the masher crushing onto the floor. It sent vibrations along the ground, which gave more power to the machines. The gears were turning faster. A loud horn resounded from a speaker somewhere in the room, and Orion had to cover his audio receptors from the sound. He took a step back, and felt something starching at his arm. Orion jerked away, and saw that he had come into contact with a machine that glowed with electricity. It zapped at him, and he gave a yelp as he moved out of the way.

The masher hit the floor again, and Orion almost lost his balance. He stabled himself, and tried find a way out of the room. He evaded another machine, that was buzzing angrily. The room began filling up with steam, which made it hard for Orion to see. He coughed, the heat beginning to aggravate his systems. His internal fans tried to activate, but they only managed to spin around jerkily for a moment before they locked into position and remained still.

It was becoming harder to breath. His vents couldn't handle that much heat. The fact that he was running around only made it harder for him to function. Orion stumbled, and he fell right into one of the spinning gears.

Orion held back a yell as the gears crushed down on his leg, cutting into the metal of his frame. With a burst of strength, Orion yanked his leg free, limping away from the machine and up to a nearby wall. He leaned against it, looking over his leg. Energon was beginning to leak from an incision the gear had made. With a wince, Orion heaved off of the wall, trying to avoid the machines that started to move faster and faster. They were only just powering up.

Orion limped through the room, trying to find a doorway, something that he could use to escape. He tried to dodge all of the machines, but he was losing energy fast. His breathing became labored, and he struggled to stand upright. He stumbled, tripping directly into the path of a masher. The heat kept him trapped on the ground, unable to move.

Something grabbed him, heaving him out of harms way. Orion couldn't see who had picked him up, as they buried him into their chest to protect him from the heat. They were running, and Orion assumed that they were trying to dodge the machines, but he couldn't check to confirm it. Orion didn't have the strength to struggle, so he allowed himself to be carried through the room.

It went dark. The noises were getting farther and farther away. Orion was still being held carefully, and whoever was holding him was still moving very fast. He heard metal shift and screech, as if something was opening.

Suddenly, there was a large amount of light. The rapid change in temperature almost choked Orion, throwing him into a coughing fit. He struggled to breath, and he found that a hand was gently caressing his back. Orion's optics were shut tightly and he let out a quiet whine. "Ratchet..."

Someone shushed him gently, still rubbing his back. "It's okay, little one."

Orion's optics snapped open. That wasn't Ratchet's voice. He tilted his head back to looked up at whoever was carrying him to see who had spoken. A tall, black and white mech held him carefully, making sure he didn't harm him in any way. The mech was dirty, and covered in scratches and scars.

Orion wanted to speak, but he had lost too much energy. He slowly relaxed in the mech's arms, optics closing, letting himself be carried away. He did not fall into recharge. He felt to tired to even try, if that were possible. He felt each step the mech took, as if they were trying not to wake him. He didn't make a move to tell the mech that he was not recharging.

The mech looked around, walking down the halls with the sparkling limp in his arms. He eyed each of the rooms, searching for someone in particular. The mech had something to say.

* * *

"Well,_ that _was fun."

Voltlock's voice was dripping with sarcasm. He and Ratchet were standing in an operating room, which looked like it was hit by an Energon explosion. They had been treating a retired mech, who had to be restrained. He had been trying to murder another medic because they, according to the mech, 'looked at him funny'.

Voltlock leaned casually against a wall, watching as Ratchet stood in the middle of the room, recording the event into the patient's medical file. When Voltlock didn't receive a reply to his comment, he rolled his optics.

"Seriously, though, the _look_ you gave that mech when he tried to punch you?" Voltlock laughed, his voice sounding like a hiss. "_Priceless_."

Still no response from Ratchet. Voltlock waited for a Klik, then walked over to Ratchet and swiped the datapad out of his fellow medic's grasp. Ratchet blinked, staring at his hands for a moment before turning to glare at Voltlock. Voltlock only chuckled.

"Just to make conversation, where's the kid?" Voltlock asked, twirling the datapad carelessly on his finger.

"Well, if you _must_ know," Ratchet said forcefully, snatching the datapad back and jotting down another sentence of his report. "He's waiting in our _quarters_."

Voltlock hummed in acknowledgement, looking over the mess made in the room. "Well, I doubt this can get any worse."

Ratchet didn't respond, only finishing the last few words of the report. Then, he paused. He heard footsteps approaching.

Ratchet looked up from the datapad in his hands, and almost dropped it when he saw the state the sparkling was in. His optics were closed, and he was bleeding from cuts on his leg and arm. His breathing was shallow, which concerned Ratchet dearly. Ratchet tossed the datapad aside, optics widened as he hurried over to his charge. "Orion!"

Orion opened his optics at the sound of his caretaker's voice, feeling himself get taken out of the mech's arms and into the medic's. Orion let out a shaky breath. He tried to speak, but no words came out. Ratchet quickly placed Orion on the nearby operating table, performing a scan of Orion's internals.

His leg had been squeezed tightly. He was leaking Energon. Ratchet wasted no time. "Voltlock, bring me a leg brace!"

Voltlock immediately complied, rushing to the other side of the room. He opened up a large compartment, optics quickly looking over everything in there until he found a brace that was close to Orion's size. He handed it to Ratchet, who had just finished sealing up Orion's Energon lines. Ratchet took the brace, attaching it to his charge's leg. Once that was finished, Ratchet scanned Orion once again, letting out a relieved breath when he saw that Orion hadn't lost too much Energon.

Ratchet took a step back to give his charge some space. "Orion, are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Orion said quietly. He looked over to the mech standing in the corner of the room. "Are you hurt?"

The mech seemed surprised by the question, but shook his head. The two medics in the room turned to the mech, exchanging a glance before Voltlock stepped towards him. "May I ask who you are?"

The mech hesitated. Then, he walked towards the sparkling, stopping next to the berth. He looked over to Voltlock, and replied. "My name is Tanker."

"You saved him," Voltlock said, shaking Tanker's hand with a relieved grin. "Thank you very much."

"It was no trouble, doctor," Tanker said shyly, seemingly embarrassed. After a moment, his expression became puzzled. "Though, may I inquire as to why he was down in the back up power station by himself?"

Voltlock's optics widened. He frowned, and he looked over at Ratchet for an explanation. Ratchet stared at seemingly nothing, then looked down at the floor. "I..."

Orion let out a cough, which gave Ratchet a Klik to sort his thoughts. Ratchet walked over to Orion, checking his temperature before he spoke.

"... We were walking in the halls," Ratchet started, finished his check up on Orion and looking back at his fellow medic. "I was called down to see a patient, and I told Orion to go back to our quarters. I didn't..."

"'You didn't' what?" Voltlock asked, voice laced with suppressed anger. "Know he would run off on his own? If he did it before, why wouldn't he do it again? Don't you remember what happened last time!?-"

Voltlock quickly cut himself off, not wanting to start a fight in front of the injured sparkling. He lowered his voice, trying not to let Orion hear.

"Ratchet, _he is a defective_," Voltlock said, just above a whisper. "Whether he acts like it or not, he is _ill_. You know this better than I do. What were you _thinking_, leaving him alone like that?"

"I..." Ratchet said quietly, optics glancing towards Orion once again. His voice lowered. "... I wasn't."

Voltlock's expression softened at his fellow medic's tone, but he still let out an exasperated breath, clearly frustrated. He had never felt so angry with Ratchet before. But, Voltlock cared more about the sparkling's life than his friendship with Ratchet, and Voltlock would do whatever it took to ensure that Orion would be safe.

Tanker appeared to feel rather awkward, standing in the middle of an argument. Voltlock noticed the mech's discomfort, and he relaxed slightly. Voltlock pinched the bridge between his optics.

"Alright, alright..." Voltlock whispered under his breath, gesturing towards Orion. "Bring him back to your room."

Ratchet nodded, gently taking Orion into his arms. He glanced over at Tanker, then walked out of the room. Voltlock motioned for Tanker to follow as he walked behind his fellow medic, and the surprised mech did as he was instructed.

It didn't take long for them to reach Ratchet's quarters, as they were just down the hall from it. The door opened automatically, and Ratchet walked in, the two other mechs entering behind him. Ratchet gently laid Orion on the berth, careful not to aggravate the sparkling's wounds.

Tanker stepped to the side so he wouldn't walk into the desk, bumping into Orion's spark monitor and sending it crashing to the floor. Everyone jumped from the sudden noise, and Tanker quickly picked the monitor up again, checking over it with wide optics. He mumbled an apology as he opened a back panel, tinkering with the wireless communicator. "Everything's fine, I just knocked something loose. Sorry about that."

"No problem," Voltlock said absentmindedly, watching Orion with a thoughtful expression on his faceplate.

Ratchet glanced at Tanker, skeptically. "You're a mechanic?"

"...Yes, of course," Tanker replied, raising an optic ridge as he placed the spark monitor back in it's original position. "It's why I was in the power station, after all. I was checking over the main power grid."

Ratchet frowned. "And you activated it?"

"No, no..." Tanker shook his head. "I only looked over the wires and adjusted the maximum voltage. Your sparkling must have set it off somehow."

Ratchet stared at Tanker, mouth agape at the fact that the 'mechanic' was blaming a _sparkling_. His expression shifted to a glare, and he was about to object when Voltlock noticed what was about to happen and stepped in. "Thank you for getting Orion out of there _alive_."

The way that sentence was said was clearly a jab at Ratchet, who deflated at Voltlock's words. Tanker looked away sheepishly, smiling, muttering under his breath about how it was no trouble at all.

Voltlock looked to Ratchet, and was almost shaking with fury. He forced himself to keep his voice down, and he turned to looked at Tanker. "Will you come outside with me for a moment?"

Tanker hesitated, then nodded and followed Voltlock out of the room. The door closed behind them.

Ratchet stood in the middle of the room for a moment, then he walked over to Orion's spark monitor. He activated it, and Orion vitals appeared on the screen, gently beeping at an even pace.

Orion looked up at his caretaker with a whimper. "Ratchet."

Ratchet knelt by Orion's side, gently shushing him while caressing his cheek. "It's alright, I'm here..."

Orion weakly reached out and placed a hand on Ratchet's. The medic paused, then he grasped the sparkling's hand in return.

Orion sat up, not wanting to fall into recharge just then. Ratchet was about to tell Orion to lay down and rest, when he heard the door open behind him. He turned around, and saw Voltlock standing in the doorway, comepletely completely. "Ratchet, may I speak with you?"

Ratchet blinked, looking back to Orion for a moment, then back at his fellow medic. Ratchet nodded, then followed Voltlock out of the room. Ratchet looked around the halls. Tanker was no where to be seen. Voltlock made sure to close the door behind him.

As soon as the door was shut, Voltlock exploded. "Ratchet, what is _wrong_ with you!?"

The suddenness of Voltlock's rage had shocked Ratchet, enough to leave him unable to reply.

"You _know_ what can happen if Orion is left alone!" Voltlock yelled, arms swinging around to express his anger. "He is _sick_! He could _die_! Does that_ not register _with you!?"

"Voltlock, I did not-"

"What? You 'did not' _what_!?" Voltlock asked condescendingly, teethplates grinding together. "There is _no_ excuse for this, Ratchet!"

Ratchet tried once again to get a word in, to reassure his fellow medic. "Orion is alright, he's _safe_-"

"_No_!" Voltock interrupted. "No, he is not _safe_!"

Ratchet stared at the medic before him, unsure of how to respond. He had _never_ seen Voltlock so upset. It was rather unnerving, but Ratchet didn't think too much about it. Voltlock was concerned about Orion's health, as was Ratchet.

Voltlock took a deep breath, then rubbed a hand over his faceplate. His cheeks were a hint of blue from the Energon boiling inside of him. He tried to calm down, because he knew that yelling wouldn't solve the problem. Voltlock closed his optics, tone dangerously low. "We'll talk about this later."

With that Voltlock spun around and strode down the hallway, leaving Ratchet standing there alone.

Ratchet frowned, starting to feel rather angry as well. The only difference was that he was angry at himself. He felt guilty. He remembered what had happened the last time Orion had walked down the halls alone. While his immune system was stronger than before, he was still at risk of deadly viruses. Ratchet never wanted anything to happen to Orion.

Ratchet turned back to his quarters, unlocking the door and walking inside. He paused midstep, anger vanishing when he saw the little sparkling sitting on his berth. Orion didn't acknowledge him, looking down at the floor, datapad in hand. Ratchet watched him with concern.

"Orion?" Ratchet stepped towards the sparkling, who was refusing to look at him. "Orion, what's wrong?"

At first, he received no reply. Then, Orion quietly spoke. "I heard."

Ratchet blinked. "Heard what?"

Orion shrugged, still avoiding optic contact. "I heard you yell."

Ratchet frowned, but didn't say anything.

"You were yelling about me," Orion continued, fiddling with his datapad, but not searching anything on it. "Voltlock keeps saying I'm really sick. I already know that, and so do you, but why does he keep saying it?"

Ratchet remained silent. Orion waited for a response. After a long moment, Ratchet spoke. "He doesn't want you to get hurt."

"Neither do you," Orion countered, then went silent once again. After a long moment, he finally looked up at his caretaker. "You care about me, right?"

Ratchet didn't even have to think about that. He was shocked that Orion even asked. "Of _course_ I do."

Orion glanced away again, then quickly looked back to his caretaker, optics wide.

"Ratchet?" Orion said, trying to sound calm, but fear could clearly be heard in his voice. "What's going to happen to me?"

"Nothing," Ratchet said softly, taking a seat at the foot of the sparkling's berth. "You're going to be just fine."

Orion looked down for a moment, staying very silent. Before Ratchet could say anything, Orion looked back up at Ratchet, sadly. "I'm sorry."

Ratchet raised an optic ridge. "Why?"

"They're mad at you now," Orion said, emotion taking over. He brought his legs into his chest and buried his head into his arms. "It's all my fault. I'm so _sorry_, Ratchet!"

Ratchet seemed taken aback by what Orion said. He hesitated, then reached over and picked the sparkling up, just like he used to do. Ratchet cradled him in his arms while whispering that it wasn't his fault, it was alright. Orion was shaking, but Ratchet couldn't tell if it was because he was cold, or if he was trying not to cry. It was likely the former, as Orion had never cried before.

Ratchet stood up, Orion still held close. He walked over to his own berth, sitting down while caressing Orion's back, trying to calm the sparkling down.

They stayed like that for a while, until Orion's shivering slowly stopped. Ratchet placed Orion next to him, and they sat in silence. After a few Kliks, Orion looked up to Ratchet, optics still dimmed with guilt. "Voltlock isn't going to be mad at you forever, is he?"

Ratchet snorted. "_Voltlock_? No, he'll forget about it by the next Orbital Cycle."

That seemed to make Orion feel better, as he let a smile form on his faceplate. "Yeah, like he forgot about how you and him went for a drink, because he got overcharged."

Ratchet smirked, but feigned innocence and raised an optic ridge. "Really? Now, where did you hear about that?"

"_You_ told me, Ratchet!" Orion said, giggling. Ratchet chuckled as well.

Orion's laugh soon turned into a coughing fit. It was much harsher than ever before, and Ratchet placed a hand on Orion's back in concern. They lasted a while, and when they seemed to be gone, they just came back. Ratchet quietly ran a scan over Orion, and saw that his temperature was getting very low.

When Orion finally stopped coughing, he was almost gasping for a breath. He began shaking again, not from the cold, but from fatigue. He leaned against Ratchet's arm, burying his head into his caretaker's side. "What's wrong with me?"

Ratchet didn't know how to respond. He never told Orion about his condition, a least, not when Orion's processor developed the ability to completely retain information. He expected that Orion would one day ask why. Why couldn't he go outside, why was he always watched over, why was he always sick. Ratchet just didn't expect him to ask so soon.

Ratchet shook his head. "There is _nothing_ wrong with you. There will never be _anything _wrong with you."

Orion was obviously not convinced. Ratchet paused momentarily, then he reached down and lifted Orion up again, much to the sparkling's surprise. Ratchet laid down on his berth, Orion laying on his chest. Orion blinked. He and his caretaker hadn't been that close in a long time. A smile crept onto his faceplate, and he snuggled into Ratchet's chest. He said nothing, just letting out a deep breath of content. Ratchet smiled softly.

Orion's breathing slowed, as did Ratchet's own. The medic placed a hand on Orion's back to hold him close.

Ratchet finally allowed himself to relax.

* * *

Ratchet onlined his optics, the dark of the room leaving him unable to see.

It took a moment for his optics to adjust to the lack of light. When they did, he looked around, and noticed that Orion wasn't in his berth. Ratchet almost bolted into an upright position, but froze when he felt a small weight on his chest. He gazed down, and saw Orion exactly where he had seen him last. Orion was cuddled against Ratchet's chest, recharging softly.

Ratchet just laid there for a few Kliks, then a sad smile formed on his faceplate. He raised a hand and caressed his charge's cheek, watching as the sparkling stirred from the touch, but didn't wake. Ratchet slowly sat up, holding Orion to his chest so he wouldn't fall. He stood, walking over to Orion's berth, and placing him gently upon in. Orion hummed lightly, shifting his position so he was almost curled up into a ball.

Ratchet frowned, placing a hand on the sparkling's forehead. Orion temperature was lower than it had ever been. Ratchet stayed by his charge's side for a moment longer, then moved to make the nearby spark monitor display Orion's vitals. It glowed dimly, with multiple lines traveling across the screen. They were normal for a sparkling younger than Orion, which was concerning. But, as Voltlock had reminded Ratchet earlier, Orion was a defective. Some things just wouldn't be what they should.

His frown deepened, and Ratchet walked back over to his own berth. He sat down, watching his charge rest for a moment before he laid down on the berth.

Ratchet closed his optics, listening to the sound of Orion breathing.

If he was breathing, he was still with him.


	8. Chapter 7

_It was something he couldn't remember. Something important. It was bright, and it was familiar, but he didn't remember. Flashes of black and white, black and white, alternated back and forth before him. He should hurt, but he didn't. Two voices spoke to him as one, but he couldn't understand._

_Two of the same voice._

_One voice, filled with static, while clear as day, could not drown out the screams._

_S-_

_Sky-_

_No!_

_No_

_Please_

_Sky, please!_

_Wake up!_

* * *

Ratchet's optics jolted online, but he couldn't see.

He did not dream. Cybertronians did not dream. They could only sort through memories, and sometimes those memories were unpleasant.

But that was why they remembered them more vividly than the rest.

Ratchet quietly sat up, his optics adjusting to the dark as the lights were still dim. He shook his head while he let out an exasperated breath. He didn't recognize anything that had occurred in that memory. He wondered if it was a distorted memory that had been edited by an injury to his helm, but he dismissed the thought. He took a look around the room, optics resting on a form on the opposite side of the room.

Orion was still recharging on the berth, his face twisted in a troubled expression. Ratchet assumed that Orion's processor was sorting through bad memories as well, and suddenly Ratchet felt much less alone.

Ratchet stood, watching Orion for a moment longer before he spoke.

"Orion, wake up," Ratchet whispered, walking over to the spark monitor to look over the vital signs. Before Ratchet read the screen, he looked back to Orion, who hadn't moved from his position. Orion's optics flickered, but they remained closed. Ratchet frowned. "Orion, I need to preform a mandatory scan of your internals. You need to get up now."

Still no response. Ratchet blinked, leaning closer to Orion and reaching towards the sparkling's shoulder. Ratchet pulled back after a moment, blinking.

"Orion?" Ratchet said in a soft voice as he placed a hand on Orion's forehead. It was only then that he noticed Orion's labored breathing. Ratchet's optics widened in concern. "You're overheating..."

Ratchet swiftly started an uplink, not waiting for who he was contacting to respond.

"Voltlock, I need you in my quarters!" Ratchet yelled as he read over Orion's vital signs. They were dropping fast.

"_Gee, Ratch'_," Voltlock said, his voice slightly groggy from apparently just waking from recharge. "_I didn't know you thought about me that way._"

"Voltlock, get over here _now_!" Ratchet barked loudly, and Voltlock immediately knew that something was wrong. He dropped the uplink, leaving Ratchet to try and stabilize Orion on his own.

The door snapped open, and Voltlock ran inside, screeching to a halt when he saw what was happening. Another mech followed behind Voltlock, but Ratchet didn't notice. He was more concerned about his sparkling.

"What's wrong?" Voltlock asked rapidly, optics darting to his fellow medic.

"Ventilation isn't circulating, on the verge of stasis lock," Ratchet said as he moved Orion into a position which would make it easier to access his major veins and spark chamber if necessary. He made sure to adjust Orion's braced leg carefully, but by no means did Ratchet slow down. "Overheating, Energon evaporating from increased temperature."

Voltlock sprang into action, first turning the temperature in the room down dramatically. He shivered, but he didn't care. Voltlock ran over to Orion, placing his hands on the sparkling's neck. He grimaced, noting that there was barely any air flow moving through Orion's vents. There was no visible blockage, so the problem was internal.

The spark monitor continued beeping, slower each time, until it remained one tone. Movement in the room stopped, and all heads turned to stare in horror at the flatlining sparkling laying dormant on the berth. Ratchet slowly shook his head.

_No_.

Ratchet knew that he had to do something that he never wanted to do. He hurriedly swiped his defibrillator off of the nearby desk, yelling for Voltlock to stand back. He raised the defibrillator over his charge's chest, hearing it buzz as it charged, and thrust it down. There was a loud crackle of electricity and Orion stiffened from the shock.

His vital signs still laid straight, no response. Fear quickly began taking control of Ratchet as he waited for the defibrillator to charge again. After what seemed like forever, another buzz resounded from the defibrillator, and Ratchet brought it down again, praying that it would work. He couldn't lose Orion. He _couldn't_.

Ratchet waited. He waited for some kind of sign that his sparkling was going to be alright. But, as the moments passed, and his charge lay still and silent on the berth, his hands slowly dropped to his sides.

Voltlock watched Orion in shock, then he slowly glanced up at Ratchet, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry."

Ratchet stared at Orion, optics wide in denial. He slowly shook his head. Orion looked lifeless as he laid there, expression twisted into one of pain.

No.

_Please_.

Ratchet's own spark began to ache. His patient, his charge, his sparkling. Orion. Ratchet took a shaky breath, optics shut tightly. He knew that the defibrillator wasn't going to revive Orion. There was nothing to flow through his viens.

_There was nothing to flow through his viens._

Ratchet's optics flew open and he spun around towards the desk. He rushed up to it, reaching into a compartment and pulling out something he had placed there a long time ago, when his sparkling first refueled in his arms. Ratchet ran back over to Orion, a small needle of Energon in his hands.

Ratchet grabbed Orion's arms and stabbed the needle into the sparkling's wrist, carefully injecting the Energon into his systems. After Orion had more energy inside of him, Ratchet immediately took the defibrillator into his hands, and after hearing a loud buzz, he thrust it down.

The defibrillator caused Orion to tense up again. Electricity trailed up and down his frame. Ratchet took a step back and waited.

Please.

The spark monitor beeped.

Ratchet's optics darted to it, and he stayed as silent as he possibly could, hoping he heard what he thought he heard.

It beep again, then again, faster and faster before it was at normal pace.

Ratchet took a step away from his charge, relief washing over him. Orion was stable, for now. Ratchet practically tossed the defibrillator back onto the desk. He looked over to Voltlock, who looked extremely conflicted with his emotions. Ratchet's optics then gazed past Voltlock, and he frowned at who he saw.

Tanker was standing behind Voltlock, making sure to stay out of the way. He was watching Orion with what appeared to be concern, though Ratchet couldn't be certain. Ratchet's optics narrowed slightly. Something about Tanker was unnerving him, but he didn't know why.

Voltlock noticed Ratchet's expression, and spoke up. "I called Tanker back to the Medical Center a few Breems ago. We were discussing what had happened to Orion in the power station."

Ratchet didn't say anything. He just looked back to his charge, who appeared to be unconscious. Ratchet, looked over to the spark monitor with a puzzled expression on his faceplate. It didn't alert him. If something happened to Orion, it should have _alerted him_. But it remained silent, and the only way Ratchet found out that something was wrong was when he tried to wake the sparkling up.

Ratchet sat down on his own berth and rubbed both hands over his face. He spoke quietly to calm himself down. "He's fine..."

Voltlock heard his fellow medic, and slowly shook his head, voice barely above a whisper. "No, he isn't."

With that, Voltlock turned around, walking out of the room and heading down the halls. He had to go speak with someone important.

Ratchet sat silently on the berth, alternating between watching Orion and looking down at the floor. Orion was safe. Orion was alright. But he almost lost him. Ratchet knew that he wouldn't be able to bear it if he lost Orion. Orion was his sparkling, and he would do anything for him. Never before had Ratchet been willing to sacrifice his very life for someone. Orion meant _everything_ to him. _Ratchet couldn't lose him_.

He felt a reassuring hand rest on his shoulder. Ratchet glanced up, surprised, then he realized that Tanker was still there. Tanker looked over to Orion, then back to Ratchet.

"I wouldn't worry, doctor," Tanker said with a small smile. "He'll be in capable hands."

Before Ratchet could comment on what Tanker had said, the 'mechanic' had exited through the open door, which shut swiftly behind him. And once again, Ratchet was left alone with his thoughts.

He felt terrible. He almost lost his sparkling. He blamed himself. He didn't even need a reason for it, his sparkling almost offlined, and if Ratchet hadn't gotten there in time-

Ratchet heard the door open, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked towards the entrance, and saw Voltlock standing in the doorway. Ratchet barely acknowledged him, looking back to his charge to make certain that he was still alright.

Voltlock watched Ratchet coldly, and almost snapped at him when he sent him such a disrespectful glance, but deflated when he saw the look on his fellow medic's faceplate. He looked completely _exhausted_, not physically, but _emotionally_. Ratchet's expression was blank, but his optics were glowing with guilt and sadness.

And so, Voltlock said nothing, just standing there, supporting by telling Ratchet without speaking that he was not alone.

The door opened once again, but Ratchet didn't look up. Someone stood there for a moment, before speaking. "Ratchet, someone wants to speak with you at the main terminal."

With that, the speaker left, and the door shut on it's own. There were a few Kliks of silence before Ratchet finally looked up at Voltlock fully. Voltlock's expression was completely stern. Ratchet looked back at Orion for a moment, then he stood up. "Will you watch over him?"

Voltlock nodded, still saying nothing. He stepped out of the way, so Ratchet could get through. Ratchet glanced at Orion one last time, then he walked out of his quarters.

Ratchet remembered walking the same way before, when he was brought down to meet Orion for the first time. The tiniest hint of a smile crept onto Ratchet's faceplate. Orion had been so small.

Ratchet soon reached the room where the main terminal resided. It looked the same as it had before. Ratchet walked into the center of the room and activated the terminal. A figure built from light flashed online before him. Ratchet blinked, surprised at the form that the light had created. The figure towered over him, and spoke with a deep voice. "Medic Ratchet."

Their voice was cold and disapproving. They stared down at Ratchet, and even though they were a figment of light, their optics looked liked they could burn straight through him. Before Ratchet could reply, the Guild Member spoke once again.

"The Guilds of Cybertron have summoned you," They said, "Your presence is required immediately."

They ended the transmission before Ratchet could respond. He stood there for a Klik, wondering what he could have done to receive such a hostile request. He shook his head, then turned and left the room. He only made his way down the hallways for a moment before he reached the exit. Ratchet walked out of the Medical Center, optic ridges narrowing in thought.

He was tempted to check up on Orion. He wanted to uplink Voltlock and see if Orion was alright, but he decided against it. Ratchet trusted Voltlock, and knew that his fellow medic wouldn't let anything happen to his charge.

The path Ratchet followed was now unnervingly familiar to him. He didn't hesitate, or wonder if he was going in the right direction, because he already knew. It didn't take long for him to reach the door, the entrance to the Guilds of Cybertron. The door slid open with a screech, and the dark tunnel before him beckoned him to enter. Ratchet stepped into the passage, and once he was inside, Ratchet paused. He turned and looked at the doorway, which remained wide open, as if reluctant to leave Ratchet inside. Ratchet watched the door for a moment longer, then he dismissed it as a glitch and continued down the tunnel.

It seemed darker than it was the last time he had walked through the passage, the light at the end of the tunnel almost nonexistent. Even the clicks and buzzes of metal in the walls were dull. Ratchet didn't think too much about it, as he had more pressing matters on his processor. For example, what the Guilds wanted from him, and Orion's state of health.

Ratchet saw the doorway that lead to the main chamber, and the guard who stood in front of it. The guard watched Ratchet with a frown, before opening the door without asking for identification. Ratchet raised an optic ridge, but said nothing, only stepping into the opened door, which slammed shut behind him.

Even the lighting of the room seemed dimmer than it should have. Ratchet was beginning to think that his optics were malfunctioning, but a quick internal check of his systems revealed that they were working at optimum efficiency. His steps slowed, but he continued forward until he was standing in the center of the room.

The Guilds of Cybertron looked down at him, waiting for a moment before one of them began to speak.

"Do you know why you have been summoned?" The Guild Member questioned, voice stern.

Ratchet paused, then replied. "I do not."

No one said anything for a long while. The Guilds of Cybertron watched Ratchet, clearly judging him, but not for any reason Ratchet could think of. Ratchet shifted under the weight if the Guild Members stares. He didn't know what they were waiting for, but he knew that it couldn't be that bad. Everything that the Guilds forced him to do had always been for the best.

He had Orion. If it wasn't for the Guilds of Cybertron, Orion wouldn't be his. Life would have gone on as it had before, where he lived in constant guilt over the death of someone he cared for. The Guilds of Cybertron had given him someone to protect, to care for and give a home, and the small sparkling grew into someone who healed the medic's broken spark.

No matter what the Guilds had prepared for him, Ratchet believed that he would make it through, as long as he had that young sparkling by his side.

"Recent events lead us to believe," A Guild Member finally spoke, voice deep and devoid of emotion. "That you are unfit to care for Orion Pax."

That sentence shattered whatever confidence Ratchet had left.

"You have one Orbital Cycle to prepare Orion Pax for relocation," The Guild member concluded.

Ratchet stared forward, not really seeing what was in front of him. The words spoken had made him completely numb to everything around him.

They were going to take him. They were going to take Orion away from him.

Ratchet wished there was something he could do to stop it. If he could do anything, he would, but the Guilds had made their decision.

There was nothing Ratchet could do.

Ratchet glanced down momentarily, then back up at the member of the Guilds. "What will happen to him?"

"He will be placed into another Cybertronian's care," The Guild member replied, gesturing behind Ratchet to someone who had been in the chamber the whole time, staying quietly in the shadows. Ratchet turned to look at the Cybertronian he hadn't known was there, as they stepped out of the darkness and into the open.

Ratchet opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

Tanker stood at the other end of the room, watching Ratchet with false sympathy. He was clearly trying to prevent a smirk from creeping onto his faceplate. He slowly walked towards Ratchet, expression remaining the same. "Hello again, doctor."

Ratchet's voice had left him. He couldn't form a response for the mech that approached him with a sadistic smirk twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Another Guild Member spoke up. "Miner Tanker has experience with acting as a caretaker for a sparkling, as he had been assigned to temporarily watch D-16 for an Orn after a mine collapse. Orion Pax will be in capable servos."

Ratchet didn't register the unintentional jab at his ability to watch over his charge. He didn't register the mention of Tanker's previous charge. He only heard the first word the Guild Member had spoken. Miner. _Miner_.

Tanker had said he was a mechanic.

"Like I told you before, doctor," Tanker said as he stopped a few steps away from the medic. "He'll be in capable hands."

Ratchet couldn't formulate anything intelligent to say. The only thing he managed to say was just above a whisper. "_You_."

Tanker's smirk only grew, and he looked as if he wanted to reply, but then he got a better look at Ratchet's expression and he frowned, in what appeared to be a mixture of disappointment and annoyance. The smile quickly returned, though, and Tanker gave Ratchet a curt nod of acknowledgement before he turned around and began walking away.

Before Ratchet could say anything else, Tanker was already half way across the room, heading back into the shadows. He turned his head slightly as he walked to flash Ratchet another smirk before he left through an exit Ratchet had never noticed before.

The medic stayed standing there for a Klik, then he realized that he had been dismissed. Ratchet walked back to the entrance, with it's doors wide open. Once he walked through, the doors shut behind him. The guard watched him with disdain, but said nothing. Ratchet stood there momentarily, then he started back through the passage way.

The tunnel looked pitch black to him, but he still knew where he was going. The metal in the walls had gone completely silent, or Ratchet was unable to hear them. His processor was unable to grasp what was going on. Suddenly, there was light.

The door was still open. In most cases, Ratchet would think about how it was probably malfunctioning, but he was too focused on what he had just been told. He walked outside, but he didn't stop. He continued towards the Protihex Medical Center, unable to see any of the other Cybertronians who walked past him.

Ratchet stepped into the Medical Center, and began walking down the halls. The other medics paid him no mind, but he didn't notice. He made his way through the halls, knowing exactly where he was going without really knowing where he was. He couldn't believe that one sentence the Guilds of Cybertron had said could have affected him so much.

Perhaps it was because that one sentence was going to destroy what meant the most to him.

"Hey, Ratchet," A voice called from behind the medic, yanking him from his thoughts. Ratchet stopped and turned around to see who had spoken, spying Voltlock walking towards him.

Ratchet frowned. "I thought you said you were going to watch over Orion."

"I know. I made sure he was alright before I left. I just..." Voltlock paused to think of a good way to say what he wanted to say. "I thought you might need someone to talk to."

Ratchet expression didn't change. He didn't reply, just waiting for Voltlock to finish so he could get back and see his charge for what may be the very last time. Voltlock looked slightly sympathetic, and he took a step towards his fellow medic.

"It's for the best, Ratch'" Voltlock said, trying to light the mood with his fellow medic's nickname. He gave a small smile, trying to make Ratchet feel better. "He'll be alright without you. He's a smart kid."

Ratchet was almost calmed down by what Voltlock had said, until he realized what exactly had been said to him. Voltlock knew. There was no way Voltlock couldn't have known, unless he was there, or someone told him, or he was the one who-

Ratchet froze.

"You..." Ratchet said, voice barely above a whisper before raising dramatically. "_You did this?_"

"There was nothing else I could do," Voltlock replied, smile immediately disappearing.

Ratchet tried to stay calm. He really did, but the thought of losing someone else completely drowned out whatever rational thoughts formed in his processor. He tightened his fists and almost went completely rigid. "They are going to _take _him. Once Tanker gets custody of Orion, I will _never_ be able to see him again!"

"Ratchet," Voltlock said, placing his hands on Ratchet's shoulders to keep his fellow medic facing him. "_He isn't safe with you_."

Ratchet was about to respond, when Voltlock's words sunk in and he slowly unclenched his fists, leaving his arms limp at his sides. Whatever comeback he had in his vocalizer had left, and wouldn't allow any other sentence to form. His optics gazed directly at his fellow medic, but he was unable to see him. He looked down, the situation he was in finally beginning to overwhelm him.

"My main concern is Orion," Voltlock continued, internal fans activating from the stress. "I am _not _going to stand around and just wait for that kid to get seriously injured, maybe even _offline_, because you don't know what you're doing! Do you not _understand?_"

Ratchet had lost the will to fight, each of Voltlock's words stabbing deep into his spark. But, even though the words pained him, Ratchet could not bring himself to get angry. He couldn't bring himself to feel anything at all. He felt like his circuitry had been severed, leaving him entirely numb.

Voltlock waited for a response, then huffed in annoyance. "I can't _believe_ you."

He spun around, walking away from the distraught medic, leaving him standing alone in the halls.

Ratchet stood there for almost a Breem in the empty hallway, before he began making his way forward, towards where he needed to go. The walk seemed longer than it should have, partially because Ratchet was so focused on what was happening to his charge, and partially because he walked much slower than he intended to.

Voltlock had told the Guilds of Cybertron everything. How it was in the beginning, where Ratchet had yelled at the poor sparkling, when Orion had run away, when Orion got hurt in the underground, and when Orion almost offlined. He must have agreed that Tanker should look after Orion, as Tanker seemed to know ahead of time. But all Ratchet wanted to know was _why_. Why Voltlock would do such a thing, why he would believe Tanker when the 'mechanic' said that it was the sparkling's fault, why he would remove his charge from his care, Ratchet didn't understand.

Orion meant so much to him, and Ratchet wondered if that was making him blind to what others could see clearly. Perhaps Orion would be better off if he had never been placed in his care in the first place.

Ratchet blinked when he realized that he was trembling. He paused, then took a breath to calm himself down. His shaking slowed, then he got a good look at where he was, and found that he was at the entrance of his shared quarters. Ratchet stayed still for a moment, composing himself so he wouldn't worry his charge, before the automatic doors slid open and he stepped inside.

Ratchet's optics immediately looked to Orion, who had woken up, and Ratchet's spark ached when he saw the state the sparkling was in.

Orion smiled weakly at his caretaker, relieved that he was there. "Ratchet."

Ratchet tried very hard not to wince at the sparkling's speech. Orion's voice was filled with static, and sounded completely worn out. His breathing was still labored, but not as severely as before. His colors were slightly faded, and his optics glowed dimly, flickering. His expression was tired, though there was happiness clear on his faceplate. The leg brace he had been wearing was gone, apparently having been removed while Ratchet wasn't there.

Ratchet had to keep himself from shaking. "Hello, Orion."

Orion's smile grew. Ratchet walked over to the sparkling, taking a seat at the foot of the berth. Orion let out a weak cough, but his smile still remained. He looked exhausted, but he didn't want to rest.

Ratchet sat there with his arms crossed, still trying to make sense of everything, even though he already understood. He just didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to believe that his sparkling wasn't going to be there anymore.

He shut his optics. He didn't know if Orion knew what was happening. Voltlock knew, so he might have told Orion while Ratchet was talking to the Guilds of Cybertron, but Orion wasn't acting like someone who was about to leave the only home he's ever had. Though, Ratchet knew that individuals dealt with grief differently. Some laugh. Some cry. Some seek revenge against the ones they believe wronged them. But, there were also those who blocked the pain off and went along as if everything was alright, even when they knew it wasn't.

Ratchet almost dozed off, but before he could drift into recharge, he remembered something that made his optics snap open in shock.

The wireless communicator.

It didn't alert him to Orion's condition. The spark monitor registered the sparkling's state, but Ratchet didn't know why it didn't _show_ it.

Ratchet stood up, walking over to the spark monitor resting beside his charge's berth. Ratchet stepped behind it, opening the back panel, and ran his scanner over it's internal components to see if anything was damaged. The light of his scanner stayed blue, then flashed red. Ratchet's arm returned to normal, then he carefully reached towards what seemed out of place.

One slab of metal stick out in an awkward position, bent at an angle that seemed out of place. Ratchet gently pushed the metal slab back into place, and the spark monitor beeped cheerfully, and Ratchet was suddenly bombarded with alerts, each stating Orion's condition at the times they should have been received.

The oldest one was sent when Orion's vitals had lowered before raising back to normal. The next few listed Orion's temperature and vitals steadily declining. The most recent was of Orion's vitals at a critical low, on the verge of flatlining.

Ratchet suppressed a shudder at the very thought of what could have happened if he hadn't woken up in time.

Ratchet slowly closed the back panel, then walked back over to Orion's berth, taking a seat next to his charge. He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, optics closed, enjoying Orion's company for as long as he could.

Orion stayed laying down for a moment, then he slowly sat up. He crawled over to Ratchet, taking hold of his caretaker's hand. Ratchet blinked, then looked down. He paused, then smiled, gently picking Orion up and holding him close. Orion nuzzled into Ratchet's chest as Ratchet closed his optics once again.

The silence returned, and they stayed in that position. There was no noise for such a long period of time that Ratchet wondered if Orion had fallen into recharge, before he heard a voice.

"Ratchet," Orion said, voice just above a whisper. Ratchet didn't reply, only nodding in acknowledgement for the sparkling to continue. Orion hesitated, then asked his question. "Who is Skylight?"

Ratchet opened his optics, eyeing Orion inquisitively. "Where did you hear that name?"

Orion merely shrugged. "I read it on the datapad. She got hurt in a mining accident."

Ratchet said nothing. The sparkling on his chest shifted his position so he could see the medic's face clearly.

"Ratchet," Orion continued, voice still quiet. He frowned, optics glancing towards the floor. "She died."

Ratchet still didn't respond. He didn't know how he could. He didn't know what he could say. He wondered why Orion would even bring that up.

"A lot of lives were hurt. Some of them were killed or damaged. Their families hurt because the ones they cared about were hurt," Orion continued, hugging his caretaker tighter. "I don't want you to hurt, Ratchet."

Ratchet shuddered again, quickly trying to still himself. He swallowed, slowly caressing his sparkling's back in an attempt to calm himself down.

Orion looked back up at Ratchet pleadingly, voice wavering as his emotions began to take over. "You're not going to let them take me away, right?"

Ratchet tried to mask the pain he felt in his spark. He held the sparkling closer. His expression was stern, but his voice wavered under the weight of his own words. "No, I'm not."

Orion looked up at Ratchet, hopeful. "You promise?"

Ratchet almost immediately said no, but he paused and viewed Orion with thoughtful optics. Orion had a small smile on his face, and that smile quickly reminded Ratchet that Orion was still an innocent sparkling. There was no way he could understand how the laws of Cybertron worked. He wasn't able to chose if Orion could stay with him or not, but he wouldn't tell him that. The last thing Ratchet wanted to do was destroy the last shred of hope the sparkling had.

But he couldn't lie.

Ratchet shook his head.

Orion's expression fell, and he looked away.

Ratchet didn't know what he could say to cheer the sparkling up. Ratchet was the only family Orion had ever known. He didn't know what would happen to Orion once he was gone, and that is what frightened him the most. He wouldn't know if his sparkling was alright. Ratchet began caressing Orion's back soothingly once again. He gradually stopped, frowning lightly as he looked down at his charge. He paused, which got his sparkling's attention, then he spoke.

"Orion, I have to go to the refueling station to get you an Energon cube," Ratchet said. "I'll be back in a few Kliks. Will you be alright?"

Orion smiled softly, and nodded. "I'll be fine. I promise I'll stay here."

Ratchet returned the smile, sadly. Orion snuggled deeper into Ratchet's chest, his smile beginning to falter. He held tighter onto his caretaker, reluctant to let go.

Ratchet gently placed Orion back onto the berth, and he stood back up, stepping towards the exit of his quarters. The door opened, and he stopped. Ratchet turned back around to face his charge, who watched him sadly. They locked optics for what seemed like an eternity, before Ratchet reluctantly pried his optics away, stepping through the door. As Ratchet walked away, the door remained open for a moment longer before it silently closed.

Orion would refuel on the Energon, then most likely fall into recharge. Ratchet would probably join him, but not until he finished the report of Orion's final treatment. Later on, he would have to prepare Orion for the transfer. Tanker would be coming to take Orion away during the next Orbital Cycle.

Ratchet reeled, suddenly needing to steady himself. The realization of what happening almost sent him to his knees.

He was going to lose Orion.

Ratchet let out a shaky breath as he entered the refueling station. His optics gazed to the glowing blue cubes that rested in a pile. The Energon sorter was not there. Ratchet didn't think too hard about his absence. The sorter could have left to recharge, and forgot to get someone to monitor the stockpile. Ratchet didn't care.

Ratchet moved towards the stockpile to pick up an Energon cube himself before he saw something in the corner of his optic and he paused midstep. He turned and looked to the other end of the room, which was oddly dark. He tried to make out what he was seeing before his optics widened. He could see the limp form of the Energon sorter against the farthest wall. Ratchet's medical instincts kicked in, and he stepped towards the sorter to see if he was injured.

Something hit him.

Ratchet fell hard onto the floor, audio receptors buzzing from the sudden impact to the back of his helm. He tried to get up, but another whack against his head disoriented him, sending him down once again. His vision began to blur.

He tried to stand, to turn and see what was attacking him, but something hit him again and again, relentless.

Darkness consumed him.


	9. Chapter 8

Voltlock walked down the halls at a slow pace. He was walking somewhere, but he was taking his time.

The hacker had succeeded. They were able to get through the firewall, and whatever information they were looking for, they found it. Before anyone could track the hacker, they disappeared. Votlock was told that it would take a while before anyone knew for certain which file was accessed, but as soon as someone did, they would immediately tell him. Voltlock was unimpressed with the amount of time it was taking to track a simple hacker, but he kept his vocalizer silent, as he didn't have any idea how to do it, either.

Voltlock shook his head. There was nothing he could do about it. He could only deal with the situation at hand.

He had to go meet Tanker. Tanker was supposed to come and claim Orion that Orbital Cycle. They had planned on meeting in the refueling station, where they would talk about the sparkling's needs over a cube of Energon. Voltlock was on his way there, walking slowly because he was early. Tanker probably wouldn't even be there. Voltlock turned into the room, and stopped abruptly.

The lights were still off. Voltlock raised an optic ridge. Surely the Energon sorter would have already be there and have turned them on? Voltlock shook his head, feeling the wall as he searched for the activation panel. Soon, his fingers hit something, and Voltlock pressed down on it. The panel glowed momentarily before the lights began to flicker on, brightness intensifying to a normal level, and enabled Voltlock to see something on the other side of the room that made him stiffen.

The sorter was laying slumped against the wall, a puddle of Energon beneath him. Voltlock ran over to him, making sure not to step in any spilt Energon, quickly scanning the sorter's limp frame. There was a faint life signal, and that gave Voltlock hope. He knelt down, placing a hand on the sorter's shoulder and gently shaking him. "Hey, can you hear me?"

The sorter groaned, faceplate twisting into an expression of pain. Voltlock slowly moved the sorter so he was laying down on the floor. Voltlock quickly spotted a large hole in the sorter's chest, though it didn't go completely through. He had been shot.

Voltlock quickly sent an alarm to the Emergency wing. It would take a Klik for them to get to the refueling station. Voltlock just had to keep the sorter alive until then.

"Hey, I need you to focus on me, alright?" Voltlock said, carefully turning the sorter's head so he faced him. The sorter's optics slowly opened, and he lookup up at the medic. He tried to speak, but he began coughing up Energon. Voltlock rubbed the sorter's arm to calm his down. "It's alright. You're going to be just fine."

The sorter's optics clearly showed that he didn't believe it. When the sorter began to drift away again, Voltlock quickly started a conversation. He couldn't let the sorter go just yet.

"Do you know who did this to you?" Voltlock asked, wondering if he should have gotten straight to the point or not. It was too late to question himself. The sorter slowly nodded, and Voltlock gave a soft smile. "Can you tell me who it was?"

"... Don't know his... name..." The sorter said with a cough. "... You know..."

He broke into another Energon filled cough, and Voltlock nodded. "I know, it's alright. You didn't meet him. I understand."

The sorter shook his head, as if Voltlock had gotten something wrong, but he couldn't manage to correct him. Voltlock heard a siren from down the halls. The Emergency team was going to be there soon.

The sorter's optics began to flicker, the light beginning to go out. Voltlock knew that the Emergency team was almost there, he just had to make certain that the sorter would hang on just long enough for them to arrive. He spoke again. "Can you tell me your name? What's your name?"

The sorter didn't speak, optics shutting and a strained breath leaving him. The room was silent.

The Emergency team rushed in, hurriedly moving to the sorter laying unmoving on the floor, while Voltlock stared. Voltlock was heaved to his feet and pulled away. He watched as the team scanned the sorter's vitals, and the other brought out a defibrillator to try and bring him back. The sorter was zapped three times before the team quickly gave up trying to revive him that way quickly lifted him onto a stretcher. They ran out of the room, trying to save him as they left. A remaining Emergency specialist, thanked Voltlock for his assistance before rushing off as well, leaving Voltlock standing alone.

Voltlock stayed there for a while, taking in what had just happened. He knew that the Emergency team would keep trying to bring the sorter back, but he also knew that they would not succeed. Voltlock shuddered.

He didn't even know the sorter's name.

So many horrible things had happened. The sorter was dead, and Orion was being taken away. Voltlock just wanted it to end and for everything to return to normal.

When he thought about it, Voltlock wondered if it would ever actually return to normal. Orion had been in the facility for so long. He had practically become a part of it, and very soon he would just be...

Gone.

Voltlock shook his head. It was for the best. It was the best for Orion, to get out of a Medical Center where he would only get hurt instead of healed. Where ever Tanker resided, Voltlock was certain that it would be better for Orion there. It had to be. There was barely anything safer than a hospital, so Tanker must live somewhere very, very safe. Otherwise, there was no reason for Orion to even go there. Voltlock and Tanker had both approached the Guilds of Cybertron with a request for Orion to be removed from Ratchet's care. They gave their reasons why, and is seems the Guilds had agreed with them.

Ratchet had been summoned to the Guilds, and while Voltlock didn't know exactly what transpired inside of the chamber, he knew that whatever had been said must have struck Ratchet hard, as he returned looking as if he had just seen his world crumbling down around him.

Voltlock felt terrible. He believed he was doing the right thing, but what it was doing to his friend and the sparkling was sparkbreaking. Ratchet had changed so much after Orion came into his life. He had found someone he cared about, and who cared about him just as much. Ratchet's grumpy attitude toned down spectacularly, and his brooding expression had been replaced with complete content, as if everything was finally right in the world.

And Voltlock had taken that away.

Voltlock mentally scolded himself. It was for the best. Orion had to leave if he wanted to live. Voltlock had no choice.

Voltlock checked his internal clock, and saw that only a few Kliks had passed as he sorted his thoughts. Frowning, Voltlock walked out of the refueling station and continued down the halls, walking in a direction he knew all to well, and was dreading to go to, but he knew that they had to be prepared, and he needed to make certain that they were.

He made his way towards his fellow medic's shared quarters, which would soon belong only to him. Votltlock's frown deepened as he went forward, finally stopping in front of the closed door. He paused. He didn't know what he could say that would make the situation any less painful for the occupants of the room. Having already come that far, Voltlock let out a nervous breath before the automatic door opened and he walked inside.

The first thing Voltlock noticed when he entered was that Ratchet was gone. That didn't concern him so much, though he did wonder why he wouldn't be spending time with his... patient.

The next thing he noticed was Orion sitting alone on his berth. The sparkling glanced up at Voltlock tiredly before he looked back to the open door, apparently expecting something to happen. Voltlock's negative feelings immediately vanished as he walked towards him.

"Hey, kid," Voltlock said, taking a seat next to Orion with a smile on his faceplate. "What are you doing here alone?"

At first, Orion said nothing. After a Klik, he answered, optics still locked onto the doorway. "I'm waiting."

"I can see that," Voltlock chuckled lightly, leaning back against the wall with a smirk. "What are you waiting for?"

"Ratchet," Orion said, still calm and patient as ever. He briefly glanced up at Voltlock as he spoke. "He went to get a cube of Energon."

Voltlock blinked, but his playful attitude remained. He didn't want to burden Orion with what he had just seen. "I was just in the Refueling Station, Orion. Ratchet wasn't there. He probably went somewhere different. Did he say anything else?"

Orion shook his head, speaking with the upmost seriousness. "No, he told me where he was going."

Voltlock's smile disappeared momentarily, but quickly returned. He watched Orion with an optic ridge raised. "Really? Did he say when he was going to be back?"

"He said he'd be back in a few Kliks, but it's been longer than that," Orion explained.

"And how long has he been gone?" Voltlock asked, curiously.

"Since last Orbital Cycle," Orion replied.

The silence that followed was unnerving. Voltlock's faceplate blanched. "Orion, why didn't you tell someone?"

Orion looked back up at Voltlock. "I promised Ratchet I'd stay here."

Voltlock stared down at the sparkling, optics wide. Ratchet had made Orion swear that he wouldn't run off alone again, and the sparkling fulfilled that promise. Voltlock slipped off of the berth, kneeling next to it so he was optic level with his fellow medic's charge. "Orion, this is really important. Do you remember Ratchet saying anything else, mentioning another place or area he wanted to go to?"

Orion shook his head again. "No. He told me he was going to the refueling station."

Voltlock stood up and rubbed a hand over his faceplate. He didn't know whether to be angry or concerned. If Ratchet had murdered that Energon sorter and ran off leaving the sparkling on his own, Voltlock swore to Primus that Ratchet would regret every single moment of his existence.

Voltlock was shocked with himself for even thinking such a thing. Then, he remembered that the safety of a sparkling was the most important thing, more important than any kind of friendship Voltlock wanted to have.

Orion watched Voltlock, confused at the medic's sudden change in demeanor. "Is everything alright?"

Voltlock, glanced at Orion with a _very_ forced smile. "Yes, everything's fine."

Voltlock swiftly turned to the door. He had to find Ratchet. Voltlock wasn't sure about what he was going to do once he found him. Perhaps yell at him. Voltlock believed that would be an appropriate response. He was about to exit, when he paused midstep. Voltlock looked back at the sparkling seated on the berth, optics shifting their gaze between the door and Voltlock himself. Voltlock fought internally about something, then he let out a breath of exasperation.

"Orion, I need you to keep watch for Ratchet, okay?" Voltlock asked semi-calmly. "Once he gets back, tell him he needs to contact me _immediately_."

Orion eyed Voltlock carefully, but nodded. Voltlock gave a quick smile, and spun around as it disappeared completely and he swiftly exited the room. Orion watched the doorway which Voltlock had left through, waiting for something that always happened to occur.

The door attempted to close. The metal panels began to slid shut, pressed together, but at the last moment the door snapped open and stayed that way. Orion stared at the door, confused. That could have been the glitching of the doors Ratchet had talked about. The door remained open. Orion didn't think about it too long. He straightened his posture and watched the doorway intently.

Orion sat there silently, as Kliks turned into Breems, and Breems turned into Joors, and the crimson sun began it's slow decent.

An assistant medic came to check up on him, per Voltlock's request, and gave the sparkling a cube of Energon. Though Orion was reluctant to take it, as he was waiting for Ratchet to return with one, but he eventually gave in, as he knew that he needed to refuel. Though, even when he had more energy, Orion remained on the berth. At one point, Voltlock himself entered, wondering why the door wouldn't close, but soon dismissed it. He tried to get Orion to walk around, but Orion refused, waiting patiently for his caretaker to return.

Orion was alone. Occasionally, an assistant medic would walk past his quarters, glancing through the open door to see it the sparkling was alright. Orion knew that he was just fine. He thought that if anyone should be concerned about someone, they should be concerned about Ratchet. But, Orion wasn't concerned. Ratchet told him that he would be back in a few Kliks, and even though it was taking longer than that, Orion wasn't worried. Orion trusted Ratchet. He knew that Ratchet wouldn't lie to him. He wouldn't make a promise that he couldn't keep.

Orion could hear two sets of footprints walking down the hall. He perked up, listening intently. Maybe it was Ratchet. Maybe Voltlock found him. Orion straightened as he strained to hear the voices coming from the figures in the hall.

"... Shame what's happening, but he had it coming," One of the figures said. Orion deflated at the mech's voice. He didn't recognize it, which meant that Voltlock wasn't there.

And neither was Ratchet.

Frowning slightly, Orion continued eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Why would he even think about leaving it on it's own?" The second mech responded, a growl in his voice. "What happened was _obviously_ going to happen with _that_ medic watching over _sparkling_. The sparkling could have gotten _killed_!"

There was a short amount of silence as on of the mechs took a breath to calm himself down. The second mech spoke once again, with a condescending tone.

"I don't know what the Guilds were thinking, letting that self-centered, arrogant, glitch of a medic take care of someone so fragile. I wouldn't be surprised if it was scarred for life!" The second mech said, exasperated. "He's gone, too. Left a while ago. He _abandoned_ the sparkling here."

"Poor kid. He doesn't deserve this," The first mech replied. Their voices were gradually getting louder as the came closer to Orion's shared quarters.

"That mech that saved his life, that..." The second mech paused, apparently trying to think of a name, seemingly coming up with nothing. "That black and white one, with the twitch. He's coming to get the kid later this Orbital Cycle."

Orion tilted his head, wondering what exactly they were talking about. He assumed that the black and white mech they mentioned was Tanker, but he didn't know what Tanker would be doing at the Medical Center. Perhaps a member of his family was being treated.

Orion watched as the mechs passed by his quarters, stopping to watch him for a moment before continuing on their way. They waited until they thought they were out of the sparkling's hearing range before they spoke. "Ratchet better get back soon. Orion needs to be prepared for the transfer."

Orion gasped in shock. He froze, staring at nothing. The footsteps of the two mechs was drowned out by sudden rush in his processor. His breathing quickened as he realized what was happening.

Tanker was going to take him away.

Orion slowly shook his head, voice barely above a whisper. "No..."

Orion covered his optics, as if not being able to see what was before him would make it go away. He couldn't leave him. He couldn't leave Ratchet. His caretaker was _Ratchet_, not _Tanker_. Tanker may have seemed nice before, but if he was trying to take him away from Ratchet, then Orion decided that he didn't like him at all. He _hated_ him.

"No..." The sparkling shook his head again, uncovering his optics, though keeping them closed, as he was not ready to face what was going on. He didn't hate Tanker. It couldn't have been Tanker's choice. While on the datapad, Orion researched Cybertronian history. There were a select group of Cybertronians known as the Guilds of Cybertron. Apparently, they decided a Cybertronian's fate, what would happen to them, where they would go with their life, everything. No one could really choose, and if they tried to choose, their would have to be approved by the Guilds of Cybertron.

Orion never asked Ratchet about where he came from. He learned that sparks were born in the Well of All Sparks. They stayed there until they were ready to be brought into the world, and be placed inside of a protoform. The sparks that came out of the Well as full grown Cybertronians were placed by the Caste System into a Guild for training in what the Guilds of Cybertron believed would fit their skills most. That's were they were trained to do something before being sent to do what they were told.

On more rare occasions, the Well would produce a sparkling. In that case, the sparkling would be placed into the hands of a fully grown Cybertronian, referred to as a caretaker. They would watch over the sparkling and teach them as they grew up, then the fully grown sparklings would be sent off into a Guild for specific training, then be sent to do what they were told. The sparkling was just placed in a Cybertronians care, even though they had no connection to each other.

So, that meant he wasn't Ratchet's.

Orion opened his optics. No, he was Ratchet's. He would _always_ be Ratchet's. No one else could replace the medic's place in Orion's spark. Being gone for so long, and the thought of everything that was happening with no one there to hold him close and tell him him would be all right, made Orion's spark ache.

He remembered another article. It was in the classification of sparklings. There were mechs, and femmes, but towards the bottom of the list, untouched, was defectives.

The sound of footsteps slowly crept into Orion's audio receptors. He looked up, and saw Voltlock watching him with warm optics. Orion quickly hid away all of his pain and fear. That was not something Voltlock needed to see. Orion was sure Voltlock had his own problems.

Voltlock. He had to have known. Nothing happened in the Protihex Medical Center that he didn't know about. He might have already known that Orion was going to be transferred into Tanker's care. If that was the case, Orion wanted to know why he wouldn't _tell_ him. He had to hear it from some stranger walking through the halls. If it had been someone Orion had been close with, maybe that would have numbed the pain, but it was too late for that.

Voltlock gave a soft smile, walking up to Orion. "Hey, kid. How are you doing?"

Orion shrugged, avoiding optic contact. "I'm alright."

Voltlock's smile grew and he took a seat next to Orion on the berth. He crossed his arms and leaned his back against the wall, in the exact same position that Ratchet had done many times, and the familiarity of the situation made Orion's spark ache even more.

Voltlock said nothing for a moment, just watching Orion shift slightly on the berth. He frowned slightly, but quickly returned the smile so the sparkling wouldn't be upset. Voltlock knew that something was troubling Orion, but Voltlock also knew that it wasn't possible Orion knew what was going on. Everyone who knew had made certain not to tell any other Cybertronian alive, but apparently someone overheard, as the whole situation was being spoken of throughout the entire Medical Center. Even so, Voltlock was sure that Orion didn't know.

Voltlock noticed Orion's expression and posture. Orion was frowning as he thought deeply about something, and he was slightly slouched, as if something he had learned had devastated him greatly. Voltlock's expression shifted slightly, as his optics gazed over to the desk. He smile came back at full force before he spoke. "Did you learn anything knew, Orion?"

Orion finally looked up at Voltlock, watching him carefully before giving an uncertain nod.

Voltlock reached over to the desk and picked up the datapad, handing it to Orion before he relaxed slightly. "Got anything new to tell me about? You love to ramble about strange things."

The corners of Orion's mouth twitched downwards, and he looked down at the datapad in his hands, before he set it down and let out a breath. "Voltlock, can I ask you a question?"

Voltlock's optics gained a confused glow, but he nodded. "Go ahead."

Orion hesitated, unsure if he really wanted to know. He hadn't researched too hard on the subject, but he didn't know why. Perhaps it was because he was afraid of the answer. Orion glanced away for a moment, before he hardened his spark and he locked optics with the medic. "What is a defective?"

At first, it was Orion's tone that surprised Voltlock, but then the question the sparkling asked quickly took over the shock. He forced the smile to stay on his faceplate, though it was trying to disappear. "...Where did you hear that term, kid?"

Orion looked back to the datapad. "I was looking through saved files on the datapad. They were there when I was given it. One of the files discussed sparklings, like normal mechs and femmes, but I found a separate section about defectives. Why?"

Voltlock blinked, his optic ridges furrowing. "'Why' what?"

"Why is it separate?" Orion said, voice raising as emotions began to take hold. "Why is it set away from the rest them? Is something wrong with it?"

"Kid, slow down," Voltlock whispered, trying to calm the sparkling down, but it was futile.

"I heard you. I _heard_ you say I'm a defective. Now I know why I'm always sick. Now I know why there's a virus in me that won't go away. Now I know why I'm so _weak_," Orion said, his voice breaking at the end of that sentence. He took deep breath, as the stress was beginning to make it harder to speak. "It... The file... It said that defectives should be destroyed on sight. Why am I still alive? Why... Why didn't they kill me, too?"

Voltlock gently reached towards Orion, concern beginning to show. "Orion, please-"

"Voltlock," Orion interrupted, taking a few deep breaths before staring up at the medic pleadingly. "What is _wrong_ with me?"

He didn't know how to respond. Voltlock's mouth opened and closed a few times before closing when no sound came out. Voltlock didn't know how to answer that question. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what he _could_ say. He didn't know what _anyone_ could say to a question like that. He _just didn't know_, and that frustrated him to no end.

Orion's breath quickly became labored, as if he was having trouble with ventilation. "... Now I know why... Ratchet didn't like me... When we first... _met_."

The last word was cut off as Orion broke into a coughing fit. Voltlock quickly began caressing the sparkling's back, though Orion shifted away. Voltlock pulled his hand away and watched Orion in concern. Orion hadn't coughed like that since his virus was at it's peak.

Orion's cough slowly died down, and he inhaled deeply as he struggled to breathe. He looked up to Voltlock, who was staring at him in worry. Orion shook his head in a gesture to say that he was fine, even though he wasn't. He wanted his caretaker. Voltlock could tell.

Voltlock felt a wave of guilt crash down on him. Perhaps Ratchet had run off because of what he had said, and that was why Orion was alone. He glared, angry with himself, even though he knew that it couldn't have been his fault. Orion was in danger when Ratchet was around, so he had to place Orion somewhere safe, whether he wanted to or not. He just wanted the sparkling to stay _alive_, and he wasn't _safe _where he was.

Orion... Orion had never interacted with other sparklings. He was forced into a full grown Cybertronian situation. He had been ill all of his life. He never had the chance to be a sparkling for very long. He was thrust into a situation he had no control over.

Voltlock shook his head. There was nothing he could do to change the past.

But, he could change the present.

Voltlock knew that he had to find Ratchet.

He also knew that when he found Ratchet he wouldn't let his fellow medic see the light of day. Voltlock thought about helping Ratchet feel better about what was happening, but after the stunt he pulled how _could_ he. How _dare_ he abandon Orion. He left the sparkling all _alone_. Voltlock would _never_ forgive him for what he had done.

Voltlock realized that Orion had calmed down, and was now watching him as he sorted through his thoughts. Voltlock gave a sad smile. Orion didn't deserve _any _of the bad things that were happening to him. He was just an innocent sparkling, though Voltlock wondered if any innocence remained. Voltlock stood up from the berth. "I'm going to meet with someone soon. After that I'm going to come back to get you, alright?"

Orion glanced away with a frown tugging at his faceplate, but he nodded.

Voltlock's soft smile remained, and he began to walk away. Just before he exited the room, he looked back. "Take care of yourself, kid."

With that, Voltlock turned and exited through the door, which stayed open as if it was waiting for something.

Orion's optics remained on the open door. A dull weight in his spark told him that something was wrong. He knew Ratchet was out there, somewhere, and no one else seemed the least bit concerned. What if Ratchet was _hurt_-

Orion shook his head, clearing the thought from his processor. Ratchet was just fine. He _had_ to be. Ratchet said that he would come back, and he wouldn't _lie_. Orion trusted Ratchet with all his spark.

Orion looked down at the floor. He wondered if he should do what he knew he needed to do.

But, he had _promised_, didn't he? He said that he would stay. He shouldn't leave. If Ratchet came back and he wasn't there, Orion knew that Ratchet would fly into a panic.

Though, if Ratchet was hurt, then he would never come back.

Orion stayed still for a long while, staring at the door to see if a familiar figure would appear and make him decide not to do what he was going to do. When no one came, Orion frowned, before his expression hardened. He slowly slipped off of the berth, planting his feet firmly on the floor. He took a few steps towards the door, stopping as he faced the exit. He didn't really know exactly what he was planning to do. He didn't know what he _could_ do.

All he knew was that if Ratchet needed him, he wasn't going to abandon him. Not ever.

Orion left the room.

And the door finally closed.


	10. Chapter 9

His optics were refusing to online.

In most cases, he would have been concerned, but he felt too disoriented to understand what was happening around him. He felt himself moving, but he wasn't making himself do so. He felt the ground beneath him rub against his frame, but he couldn't think of a reason why before his systems returned to shut down.

* * *

Ratchet's processor had cleared the next time he had regained consciousness, but the clarity was soon dulled out by a pain in the back of his head. Ratchet groaned lightly, lifting a heavy arm to rub the injury, only to realize that he could not. Ratchet forced his optics open, waiting a Klik for his blurry vision to clear.

It was dark. Ratchet briefly wondered if his optics had not yet been onlined, before they began adjusting to the lack of light. He was in a large room. He couldn't tell if he was above or underground. The room was almost completely empty, and whatever items there seemed to have been scattered or tossed onto the floor without a second thought. The darkness and mess of the room made Ratchet go ridged at the thought of it being caused by another Energon explosion. His breathing quickened and he looked around rapidly, trying to find a living form, praying that he hadn't lost anyone else. He tried to find Orion, to make sure that his sparkling was alright, but he found nothing, and that frightened him.

The thought of something happening to Orion almost threw Ratchet into a panic. He tried to walk around and look for his charge, but when he tried to do so, he found that something was holding him back. Ratchet felt pressure on both his arms and legs, and he looked to see why.

There were chains holding him to ceiling. They were not like the ones used in a prison facility, which had electric currents holding the criminals in place, but just chains wrapped around his wrists and ankles keeping him from touching the ground. He began to pull against the chains, trying to free himself, but it was no use. The more he struggled, the tighter they seemed to latch onto him. Ratchet quickly figured out that he wasn't going to get out of the chains, so he stopped fighting, instead looking at his surroundings.

He didn't recognize where he was. He was obviously not in the Medical Center. It was dark, and it was unfamiliar, yet he seemed to remember that place. He felt like he had been there before, but he couldn't have. He didn't recognize the area at all.

Ratchet frowned, looking down at the floor, once again pulling at the chain with one arm, as if he hoped that it would break and he could slam his fist onto the ground in aggravation.

"It's no use, doctor."

Ratchet's head snapped up at the voice, and his optics widened at who he saw standing in the middle of the doorway.

"Hello, Ratchet," Tanker said with a smirk. Ratchet only stared at him as he continued. "Or do you prefer 'Ratch''? I've heard Voltlock call you that name before."

"Tanker...?" Ratchet vocalizer was quiet from lack of use. He was unable to think of anything more intelligent to say. He was too surprised to really say anything else, processor going completely blank.

Tanker's grin grew much larger. "Oh, so you recognize me? That's good. It'll help. You should recognize me. That's why you're here, isn't it?"

Tanker let out a chuckle, but Ratchet didn't know what was so funny. Ratchet watched the mech for a moment longer, noting the dilated optics and leaning posture. Ratchet could immediately tell that something was wrong with the black and white mech.

There were so many things Ratchet wanted to say. He wanted to know why he was in chains, why Tanker was there, where Orion was, but only managed to ask one simple question. "Where am I?"

"This is where I live," Tanker answered, glancing around, unimpressed. "It's not much. Haven't been here in a while. I was busy looking for you."

Ratchet still stared, unsure of what Tanker meant by that.

"Well, I already knew where you were, but I had no excuse to speak with you face to face," Tanker continued. "I hadn't gotten injured, and there was no way I would resort to self-harm."

Tanker watched Ratchet's expression change to one of confusion. Ratchet didn't understand why Tanker was telling him any of that. Tanker let out an exasperated breath.

"Did you know I had to take up an entirely different profession because of you?" Tanker chuckled lightly. "Well, it wasn't _really_ a profession. The Guilds had designated me a _miner_, after all. I had to teach myself how to work with machinery, when I found out that there was an abandoned power station underneath the Protihex Medical Center. Perfect access."

Ratchet didn't really listen to all of that, the fact that he was trapped sinking into his processor. Ratchet's optic ridges narrowed, but for some reason his voice contained an unimpressed laugh, perhaps from a lack of Energon or the fact that he was beginning not to care. "Tanker, what could you _possibly_ want from me_?_"

Tanker's smile faded slightly, but returned in less than a Nano-Klik. Tanker's voice remained rather joyful and soft. "I want you to remember, Ratchet. I want you to remember what you did, and once you do, I'm going to make you feel every ounce of pain I felt."

Ratchet only stared at him, mouth opening to say something, but closing before anything came out. He didn't _understand_. He was _positive_ that he hadn't met Tanker before that mech saved Orion's life, yet Tanker claimed that Ratchet had known him long before that.

"Do you remember?" Tanker said with a strained laugh. "Do you remember how you failed her? How you just let her go, and you wouldn't let me do _anything_?"

Ratchet glared. If Tanker was talking about Rooter, then he was wrong. Completely _wrong_. It was true, that Ratchet had blamed himself for what had happened to Rooter. He was the one who had suggested that they meet at the refueling station, and because they were there, Rooter had perished.

But as he allowed himself to care about someone else, he understood that there wasn't anything he could have done. Rooter could have almost been considered Ratchet's teacher, if her intention had been to teach him, but he was only her assistant. She was his mentor, and she was most certainly his friend. Ratchet hadn't really thought about her that way, keeping distant long before he had even met her, because as an aspiring medic he knew that Cybertronians died, and he didn't want to feel how a bondmate or carrier had felt after losing someone they cared about.

He didn't want to hurt, but it wasn't until after he lost Rooter that he began to fear it.

Ratchet decided that he wouldn't become that close to anyone ever again. Motor had disappeared one day, and while Ratchet wondered what had happened, he refused to let himself be affected by it.

Befriending Voltlock was accidental. Ratchet wasn't even sure that they were even considered friends. It had never mattered to him. They had met when a mining accident had left many injured, and a few offline. After that, Ratchet had forgotten the mech even existed before they met once again when a patient with a damaged processor threw a fit and had to be restrained. That was something Voltlock was surprisingly good at, and he had done multiple times before.

The other medics in the Medical Center knew to keep their distance from Ratchet. He didn't mind that they did, even preferring it, but _of course_ they would treat him in such a way from the moment they first laid optics on him.

Ratchet blinked. He had not been that sarcastic or rude in the longest time. Almost ever since he met Orion.

_Orion_.

He was waiting for him. Ratchet had told the sparkling where he was going, but that wasn't where he told him he would be. It was more than likely Orion was still seated on the berth, waiting for his caretaker to return.

Ratchet frowned. He wasn't allowed to be Orion's caretaker any longer. Tanker was supposed to pick up Orion and take him away.

Ratchet's optics widened.

He wouldn't let Tanker get near Orion.

He _couldn't_.

If Tanker would chain up Ratchet, he didn't _want_ to know what he would do to Orion. If anything happened to his sparkling, Ratchet would _never_ forgive himself. Orion meant _everything_ to him, and Ratchet would _not_ let anyone bring him any harm, _ever again_. He had already felt terrible about Orion getting injured under his care. He had almost believed that Orion would have been safer with Tanker, but now he knew better, and he would _never_ let Tanker take his charge.

The rest of what Tanker said sunk into Ratchet processor, and he blinked.

Tanker couldn't have been there. He said that he tried to help someone, but there was no one really in the refueling station when Ratchet was there, besides a few Cybertronians, Ratchet and Rooter, Oiltrack, a small sparkling, and a large, black and white mech who was having a fight with-

Ratchet froze as the memories came rushing back.

A black and white mech was yelling at Oiltrack. He wanted Energon for the victims of the mine collapse. Oiltrack refused. The black and white mech became furious and tried to shoot Oiltrack. He missed, and the shot hit the Energon stockpile-

_By the Allspark._

"That was _you_?" Ratchet whispered, almost unbelieving.

Tanker's smile grew much larger than it had ever been before.

"You... You set off the explosion." Ratchet said, grinding his teethplates. "All of those Cybertronians! You killed them _all_!"

Tanker's smirk slowly slid off of his faceplate. He stared in Ratchet's direction, but his optics looked right through him. Tanker began to shiver.

"No." Tanker's voice was quiet, before he gradually grew louder. "No, no, no, no, _no!_"

Tanker grabbed his head and growled in anger. His breathing was heavy, and he kept his feet planted firmly on the ground as if to keep himself from lunging at his prisoner and tearing out his spark. His growls began filling with static, before he began taking deep breaths to calm himself down. After a moment, Tanker brought his arms back to his sides, but his fists were clenched shut.

"No, that's wrong," Tanker mumbled, mostly to himself. "You're wrong. That's not it. That's not what you're supposed to remember!"

Tanker grabbed something off of the ground, then threw it across the room.

"You're _wrong_! It wasn't my fault! If you weren't there, then they wouldn't have had to _die_!" Tanker slammed his fist into a wall, leaving a huge crack that almost reached the ceiling.

There was complete silence for almost a Breem. Tanker's breathing was labored, and Ratchet couldn't think of anything he could say.

Without warning, Tanker began to laugh. It started out as a small chuckle, then gradually grew into a crazed cackle. Tanker took a step backwards, towards the exit, though he kept his optics glued to Ratchet frame.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Tanker said with a taunting bow. "I have to go pick up a sparkling."

Ratchet's optics widened and he almost thrashed in the chains in an attempt to stop the insane mech. "Leave him _alone_!"

"Oh, don't think it's my choice, doctor," Tanker said with a crazed smirk. "I wouldn't be going after him if you didn't care about him. It's _your_ fault."

Tanker's smile wavered, and his expression was quickly shifting to anger, though he tried to hide it.

"It's all your fault, doctor," Tanker almost yelled, static seeping into his voice. "When I get him, I'm going to tell him what you did to her!"

"What did I _do_?!" Ratchet yelled back, searching Tanker's optics for an answer, but there were none.

Ratchet's desperation seemed to calm Tanker down, as the mech took a few deep breaths before his smirk returned. "You still have time. The sparkling should be enough of a trigger. After all, you met on that day, didn't you? He was a young little spark."

Ratchet frowned, a feeling of unease sweeping over him. "How did you know about-"

"The Guilds of Cybertron told me after Voltlock and I convinced them that you couldn't handle the sparkling. You were killing him." Tanker let out another chuckle. "Well, you're good at that, aren't you? It didn't matter, though. They didn't have to tell me. I already knew."

Ratchet didn't know what to say to that.

Tanker's smile grew, though Ratchet still didn't understand why. Tanker nodded a quick farewell, before he turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Ratchet held hostage by chains and the thought of the horrors that awaited his charge.

* * *

Voltlock paced nervously in an empty operating room. So many things were going wrong. Tanker hadn't shown up, even when instructed to do so by the Guilds of Cybertron. Tanker seemed like such a responsible mech, saving Orion's life and even opting to take care of the sparkling himself. Voltlock could understand if something came up, but he had received no word from Orion's new caretaker.

Orion was also concerning him. When Voltlock had first came to see the sparkling in his quarters, he seemed completely fine, but when Voltlock returned later on, Orion almost broke down. Orion himself seemed to have trouble accepting what was happening. That was understandable, as Ratchet had raised him from when he was a newborn, and even before that.

Ratchet.

Voltlock was really beginning to worry about his fellow medic. The last time he had seen Ratchet, Voltlock had said so many things that he wished he could take back. Voltlock could understand _completely_ why Ratchet didn't want Orion relocated. How long the defective sparkling managed to stay alive only showed how good of a caretaker Ratchet was. Orion had been hurt, yes, but in most cases Ratchet wasn't even _there_, though it was because Ratchet wasn't there that Voltlock blamed him in the first place.

Ratchet cared so deeply for Orion. He would _never_ leave the sparkling all alone. If anything, Ratchet would have taken Orion with him, but Voltlock knew that Ratchet wouldn't leave in the first place. The Guilds of Cybertron would track him down. If anyone had seen Ratchet, they would be forced to tell the High Council were the medic and the sparkling had hidden.

Voltlock knew that the only reason he even thought Ratchet had abandoned Orion was because his own fondness of the sparkling clouded his judgment. That, and almost the entire time Orion had been with Ratchet did the sparkling ever seem to get hurt. Seeing the innocent sparkling get injured only helped Voltlock see Ratchet as a villain, and Voltlock knew that Ratchet was certainly _not_ a villain.

Voltlock was also positive that Ratchet didn't kill the Energon sorter. There was no way Ratchet could ever kill anyone. He wasn't a soldier at war. He was a medic. He was a medic who would rather die himself than let someone else get hurt. Voltlock knew that Ratchet didn't do anything wrong.

What would he have had to gain by murdering someone? What good would abandoning Orion even _do_? Voltlock knew that Ratchet was smarter than that. There had to be something he had overlooked.

Voltlock stopped in the middle of the room and let out a breath of exasperation. He wondered if Ratchet had left because of what he had said. Voltock wasn't _really_ angry with Ratchet. He was just upset over the whole situation.

Ratchet wouldn't have left. Perhaps he went for a walk and stumbled upon a collapsed mine or a rampaging Gladiator, and he went to help.

Even if that were so, Ratchet wouldn't have been gone that long.

Voltlock let out another exasperated breath. Everything that was happening was tiring him out. He decided that he would go check up on Orion and see if the sparkling wanted a cube of Energon, then maybe he could convince Orion to leave the room and come with him to the refueling station. Orion shouldn't be waiting in one place for so long.

Voltlock stepped out of the operating room, looking both ways before he began walking down towards the main quarters. It took longer than it normally took to get there, because Voltlock wasn't rushing. He could take his time. He had his thoughts to occupy himself.

When he finally arrived at Ratchet's quarters, the firth thing he noticed was that the door was closed. Voltlock raised an optic ridge, but didn't think hard about it. A glitch in the door mainframe was the least of his problems. Voltlock stood in front of the door, and it opened automatically. Voltlock took a step inside, but sight that greeted him made him stop in his tracks.

Orion was gone.

Voltlock couldn't believe how stupid he must have been, leaving the door open even though he knew that the sparkling would try to get out every time he had the chance. Voltlock scanned the room with his optics once again, hoping that they just malfunctioned and he had missed Orion sitting quietly on the berth like he had been before, but Voltlock knew that his optics were fine.

Orion was _gone_.

Voltlock quickly stepped back into the halls, looked down both ways to see if Orion had just stepped out for a moment, but it was futile. Orion was no where to be seen.

Voltlock felt so hollow. His optics were wide at he turned back around to stare at the room, which had once belonged to both a medic and his patient, then had been a home to a caretaker and his sparkling. The room was empty, and it seemed much larger than it should have been, with the lack of furniture and medical tool scattered on a lone desk. It seemed so lonely, and yet Ratchet had lived there on his own for so long.

Orion was a defective. Orion couldn't survive on his own for long. That's why he had to stay in the Medical Center. If he left-

Voltlock shuddered. It would be so easy for the sparkling to die.

"Voltlock?"

A voice got Voltlock's attention, and he looked down the hall to see a familiar black and white mech walking towards him.

The mechanic that had saved Orion's life, the mech who was going to be Orion's new caretaker. Voltlock suddenly felt a strange hatred towards the mech, because he had helped him take Orion away from Ratchet.

No. Voltlock couldn't be angry with the mech. He hadn't done anything wrong. He was just looking out for a young sparkling. Voltlock couldn't hate anybody for that. Voltlock shut his optics to clear his thoughts, then looked back to the mech standing in the hallway.

"Tanker?" Voltlock said, sounding very surprised. "I didn't expect to see you until later."

That was a lie. Voltlock had expected Tanker much earlier, but he had never showed up.

"I apologize if I have come at a bad time," Tanker started, straightening his posture with a small smile. "I'm here to pick up Orion."

Voltlock's expression shifted to a frown. He didn't know what to say. How could he tell the new caretaker that his charge had gone missing? Voltlock averted his optics before looking back to the mechanic. "I'm sorry, Tanker. Orion's gone missing."

Tanker's faceplate seemed to freeze in his smiling expression, but not of his own accord. Voltlock briefly wondered if Tanker's processor had crashed, then Tanker spoke with a croaking voice. "What?"

"I went to check up on Orion, but he wasn't in his room," Voltlock explained, crossing his arms with worry shining in his optics.

Tanker expression went completely blank, giving no sign to show what he was feeling. He said nothing for a long time, then after a Klik he spoke. "... Where is Ratchet?"

Voltlock's optics were downcast again and he shook his head. "I don't know. He went missing last Orbital Cycle."

Voltlock paused, realization clear on his faceplate.

"It's been almost two, now," He added, just above a whisper. Tanker seemed to snap out of his trance, watching as various emotions played across Voltlock's faceplate. Tanker waited for a moment, then spoke up again.

"You don't think he..." Tanker started, eyeing Voltlock suspiciously. "... Put Orion somewhere, do you?"

Voltlock looked back up at Tanker, and again shook his head. "No. Ratchet disappeared before Orion went missing."

Tanker nodded. "You think he just left the sparkling alone?"

"No," Voltlock answered immediately, no trace of doubt in his optics. He knew that Ratchet would _never_ abandon Orion. He hated himself for taking so long to realize it. He only hoped that it wasn't too late.

They said nothing for a while, both of them trapped in their thoughts. Tanker was the first to move, though he only shifted his footing, but that was enough to return Voltlock to the present. Tanker glanced over to Orion's room, then to Voltlock, voice distant.

"I'm going to look for him," Tanker said slowly. He didn't even wait for Voltlock to respond before he turned around and left.

Voltlock watched Tanker leave, unsure of what to say. He didn't know what to do. Two Cybertronians were missing, a caretaker and his charge, and he didn't know what to do about it.

Voltlock stared at the floor.

He didn't know what to _do_.

Suddenly, a thought popped into his head. There may be a clue in the room that could help him find them.

Voltlock hurried back into the room, looking for anything that could help him, absolutely _anything._ If there was something he could do, then Primus, _he was going to do it_. Voltlock looked over the desk, but he could make much sense of what was in front of him. Voltlock saw a few tools, an empty Energon cube, and-

"Voltlock?" A femme's voice reached the said mech's audio receptors, and he turned. An assistant walked into the room, nodding respectfully as she did so. The femme picked up Orion's datapad off of the desk and held it out for the medic to take. "The file that the hacker accessed has been identified."

Voltlock was absolutely furious about being disrupted, but he hid it well, taking the datapad into his hands. Voltlock angrily looked over the datapad, reading over it's information, the anger on his faceplate slowly changing into horror. He stared at the datapad in shock, before dropping it and rushing out of the room.

The datapad's screen cracked as it hit the floor, but Ratchet's medical file hadn't been damaged in the least.

* * *

Ratchet didn't know how long it had been.

He highly doubted it had been Orbital Cycles, but the limited amount of Energon flowing through his frame told him otherwise. He felt so tired, and weak, but he stayed strong, if not for himself, then for Orion.

He didn't even notice Tanker return, until the mech was right in front of him.

Tanker strode right up to Ratchet, and without warning he punched the medic across the face. Ratchet let out a quick breath, then after he recovered he stared at Tanker with wide optics. Tanker grabbed Ratchet's chin to make certain that he was looking at him, then Tanker spoke with a tone laced with malice. "_Where is he?_"

Ratchet said nothing for a long moment, and Tanker raised his arm as a threat. Ratchet took a Klik to formulate a response, getting over the shock of being hit so suddenly. "What?"

Tanker snarled, a sound mixed with static, and he turned around, only to spin back and slam his foot into Ratchet's chest. Ratchet gasped at the sudden pain, clenching his teethplates together to stop himself from crying out. The chains rattled in protest, but they held Ratchet still so he couldn't escape, or try to stop the attacks.

Ratchet could feel Energon begin to fill his mouth. He must have had internal damage. Ratchet didn't let Tanker know, only watching as the black and white mech got unnervingly close to Ratchet's faceplate. Tanker growled. "Where. Is. He?"

Despite trying not to anger Tanker further, Ratchet couldn't help but glare right back. "What are you _talking_ about? Where is _who_?"

"Orion," Tanker answered, tone dangerously low. "Where is Orion? I know you hid him. I _know_ you did! Where _is_ he?!"

It took everything Ratchet had not to let out a breath of relief. Tanker hadn't captured Orion yet. Refusing to let Tanker know where his sparkling was, Ratchet spoke up again. "I don't know what you mean."

Tanker punched Ratchet again, then he grabbed Ratchet's faceplate and yelled. "Don't you _dare _lie to me! I went to the Medical Center. He's not there. Voltlock _said_ he's not there! _Where is he?!_"

Even if Ratchet wanted to respond, he couldn't. He could barely hear Tanker's voice, as what the black and white mech had said almost crashed his processor.

Orion wasn't at the Medical Center.

Ratchet's spark began to ache. He didn't know where his sparkling was. Tanker hadn't reached him, but that didn't mean Orion was _safe_. Ratchet tried to keep his breathing even. If Orion was hurt, Ratchet had _no way _to get to him.

Ratchet didn't even realize Tanker had moved until the mech was already standing in the entrance way. Tanker raised a hand, and if he hadn't been standing on the other side of the room, Ratchet would have thought that Tanker was going to hit him again. Instead, Tanker pressed something on the wall, and the chains on Ratchet's arms suddenly loosened, throwing him to the floor.

When he hit the ground, Ratchet held back a gasp as a sharp pain ripped through his frame. He tried to push himself to his knees, but only ended up falling back to the floor again. With blurry optics, Ratchet looked back up at Tanker as the insane mech watched Ratchet with amusement before turning and walking away, but not before leaving the weakened medic with one last remark.

"You will remember her, doctor. It's only a matter of time."


	11. Chapter 10

_It was late in the day. Kaon's roads were not as busy as they usually were. A trine of seekers flew almost soundlessly through the air. But Tanker didn't notice, or perhaps he didn't care. His processor was preoccupied by thoughts of where he was going, and who he was going to see._

_Tanker wiped off some dust that had rested itself on his shoulder. He was _covered _in dust. The mines were not kind to him that day. One of the supports had cracked, and while it didn't collapse the mine, it did displace some metal which blocked one of the alternate tunnels. The blockage was moved rather quickly, and no one had gotten hurt._

_His work was taxing, and he was often tired after he had done his job, but in the end he would always visit the Iacon Hall of Records. It was almost on the other side of Cybertron, but Monorail Transport was incredibly fast. In many cases it would take only a Joor or two to make it halfway across the planet._

_Tanker was extremely pleased when he found out that the Monorail wasn't just used for cargo transportation, because he would no longer have to wait an entire Deca-cycle to go to Iacon. After discovering the Monorail's other function, Tanker would always use it to travel to Iacon after working in the mines, no matter how badly he needed to recharge. He had only little time to do as he pleased, but he didn't mind. He could spend that little amount of time with his bondmate, and that was what he_ lived _for._

_His bondmate had contacted him from the Hall of Records, just after Tanker's shift had ended, and requested that Tanker meet there as soon as he could. Tanker was a bit confused at the request, though he wasn't upset in the slightest. It just meant that they would be together even longer. He quickly began making his way to the Monorail Transport Station, taking in the sights around him as he went._

_He walked passed the Gladiatorial Pits, hearing the sounds of swords hitting, guns firing, the audience cheering, and screams of pain that were quickly cut short. Tanker frowned, but said nothing about it. He had no control over which Guild a Cybertronian was placed in, so why should he worry about it? He shook his head. He refused to think about such things, not when he was going to Iacon again._

_The Monorail wasn't far from the Gladiatorial Pits, and Tanker arrived at the Station in only a few Kliks. He was one of the few Cybertronians who rode the Monorail, and the others were usually from a higher caste. They looked down on Tanker, as if he didn't belong there, but he didn't care about what they thought. He cared about seeing his bondmate, and the Monorail made it easier to do that._

_The ride seemed very short, which was unusual, because normally it felt like Orbital Cycles before he could get off, but this time he was preoccupied with thoughts of why Skylight wanted him to hurry. Tanker wondered why, but he couldn't think of any reason other than..._

_Well, he was just glad he wasn't that tired yet._

_The Monorail slowed to a stop much sooner than Tanker had expected. He let a few Cybertronians exit first, mostly because they wouldn't wait for him to do so before them, then he stepped outside, looking back to watch the Monorail take off again._

_After a moment, Tanker turned around and faced Iacon's streets. It was much more beautiful than Kaon, with the sunlight reflecting off of the ground and buildings which made the city-state seem like it was glowing. Tanker spotted the Hall of Records rather quickly, the spherical dome being a unique feature of the area. Tanker smiled, and began making his way towards the building he knew so well. It wasn't far, and Tanker soon found himself facing the entrance._

_Tanker slouched slightly, a warm, but tired smile appearing on his faceplate when he saw who was waiting for him at the doorway. "Skylight."_

_Skylight was leaning against the door frame with a smile. She was just a little taller than half of Tanker's height. Her frame was a very, very bright blue, with only hints of white. Her optics were a darker blue, but only slightly. Skylight pushed off of the door frame, walking over to Tanker and stopping a step away from him. Her smile widened. "Hello, darling."_

_She turned around and began slowly walking back into the Hall of Records, and Tanker knew that she wanted him to follow. They always greeted each other in that way. Tanker nodded to himself and then went after his bondmate, thinking of the possible reasons why she would have wanted to see him so badly._

_Skylight lead Tanker up towards the top of the building, towards an empty room that had been left forgotten. Tanker was the first to step inside, and he smiled at the familiarity of everything there. Skylight and Tanker had moved chairs into the room, so they could sit while they spent time together. There were no windows, and the entrance was hard to find, so no one had ever seen them there._

_Skylight carefully walked up beside Tanker, and he glanced at her to see her looking him up and down with a smirk. Tanker cocked his head slightly, unsure of why she was doing that, before she stepped right in front of him. She looked up at him, saying nothing. After a moment, Skylight slowly raised her arm and placed her hand against the side of Tanker's faceplate._

_"You're filthy," Skylight said quietly, gently brushing dirt off of his cheek with her fingers. Tanker smirked, then he placed a hand on hers, just to keep her hand there for a little longer. He had missed her. They had only been apart for an Orbital Cycle, but it felt like much longer to both of them._

_They locked optics, staring at each other for almost a Klik. Skylight smiled, then she carefully pulled away, taking a step back and gesturing for Tanker to take a seat._

_Tanker moved over to a nearby chair and sat down, and he watched as Skylight walked over to him with a smile. She stopped behind him, watching him with a smirk. Skylight wrapped her arms around Tanker's neck, humming in content. "You remember your promise, darling?"_

_Tanker leaned back, optics closed as he listened to the sound of Skylight's voice. "Mhm?"_

_Skylight trailed a finger along Tanker's cheekplate, almost whispering. "You promised you would take me on a tour of the underground."_

_Tanker's optics opened, and he turned around to frown at his bondmate. "I thought you were going in a_ whole_ different direction with that."_

_Skylight only giggled, letting go of Tanker's neck and taking a step back. "So, what do you say?"_

_Tanker stood up, deciding to tease his bondmate for that little trick she pulled. "Hm, I don't know. Do you think you deserve it?"_

_"I _know_ I deserve it," Skylight responded, with a laugh in her voice._

_Tanker chuckled as well, smile growing on his faceplate. "Would you like to go now?"_

_Skylight nodded excitedly. "Of course."_

_Tanker nodded, taking Skylight's hand in his, this time leading her out of their secret place, where they would always meet._

_They walked together, side by side, hand in hand, back the way Tanker had came. Skylight had never been to Kaon. She had lived her whole life in Iacon, and so the trip she was about to take excited her so. Her grin was large enough to make her faceplate hurt, but she was so happy she didn't even notice._

_Tanker stopped for a moment, and Skylight looked up to him in confusion, only to realize that they were at the Monorail Transport Station. She had only read about it in datapad logs, but they had never prepared her for the real thing. The Monorail was clearly one of the fastest Transport Systems ever built. Skylight read that the only thing faster was Astrotrain and the Emergency Transit, and the latter hadn't been used in hundreds of Solar Cycles._

_Tanker let Skylight step on first, and then got on behind her, just before the Monorail began to move again._

_Tanker and Skylight rode the Monorail together for the very first time, holding hands for the entire Joor. They remained silent, pleased only with each others company more than any words could explain. The trip back to Kaon seemed even shorter than before. Tanker watched as Skylight marveled at the new places she saw through the window, places she had only heard of. Being cooped up in one place had her fascinated with the rest of the world._

_The Monorail soon came to a stop. Tanker and Skylight were the first ones out, though they didn't notice. They began walking to the mine where Tanker worked. As they walked, they passed by the Gladiatorial Pits, and Skylight could hear the violence as if she was right in the arena. She frowned slightly, looking very concerned. Tanker gently tightened his grip on Skylight's hand, whispering calm words to her, but his voice, while clear as day, could not drown out the screams._

_They walked until they were far away from the Gladiatorial Pits, and the mines quickly came into view. Skylight immediately perked up at the sight and he smile returned at full force. She looked up at Tanker, her optics glowing with appreciation._

_"Will you find me if I get lost?" Skylight asked playfully._

_Tanker smirked, but it was more of a smile. "No promises."_

_Skylight giggled, still holding Tanker's hand in hers as he led her into the mine._

_It was dark. That was the first thing Skylight noticed. There were some lights placed on the walls, illuminating the sections of the tunnels that were being worked on. There were more miners working there than during Tanker's shift. Tanker had never come to the mines after he was done his job before. It seemed rather strange, and for some reason he felt like he shouldn't be there, but he continued on. It was what Skylight wanted._

_They kept heading down the tunnels, until they entered one of the lowest levels, which hadn't been worked on in a long time. Tanker stopped walking, taking a look around. It wasn't the greatest looking area, in even worse shape than a regular mine. Tanker frowned. It wasn't what he wanted Skylight to see._

_"I know it's not much," Tanker said, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke. "It just like every other mine. It's nothing special."_

_"What are you_ talking _about?" Skylight almost squealed, running over to a wall and tracing a finger along one of the cracks. Her optics were wide with excitement. "I've only read about this place! I've seen pictures, but it's _nothing _like the real thing!"_

_Skylight gave a sparkfilled laugh, spinning around through the dust in the air. She loved it. She loved everything about it. Tanker watched Skylight for a moment, then his shoulders relaxed and he allowed himself to smile. The mines may not have been a great place to visit, but his bondmate was enjoying herself, and that was good enough for him._

_Skylight practically inspected each individual crack and dent and imperfection in the wall. It was amazing. She hadn't seen anything like it before. She was in the underground. The metal was very dusty. Skylight smirked. It was probably why Tanker was always filthy when he visited her._

_A pile of dust fell from the room of the mine, directly onto Tanker's shoulder. He just brushed it off, thinking nothing of it. Then, another pile of dust, much larger than before, fell right in front of him, and in other places, including Skylight's hand. Skylight looked at the dust curiously, then she looked up to the roof. The mine seemed to groan, as if there was a sudden amount of pressure thrust upon it._

_The ground was shaking. Tanker hadn't realized it until he saw a few tools slip off of a slab of metal and clatter onto the floor. The mine seemed to growl and groan as the supports started to crack._

_"Tanker?" Skylight said from the other end of the tunnel, barely above a whisper. Her optics glowed in concerned confusion as she looked her bondmate directly in his optics. "What's happening?"_

_Before Tanker could respond, the supports began to collapse in on themselves, leaving huge chunks of metal falling to the floor. All of the other miners began running to make it out of the mine, but most of them had been closer to the exit than Skylight. Tanker pushed past them, slowly at first, but then with more force as he came closer to his bondmate._

_Tanker tried to run to Skylight, but an extremely large slab of metal fell right in between them, blocking his way. Tanker tried to push it over, but his efforts only made it stick further into the ground. Tanker found a small opening in the metal, and he quickly knelt down to look through it. Tanker watched as Skylight barely managed to avoid the giant shards of metal that were rapidly falling to the ground._

_Suddenly, there was a loud crack, and the entire mine shook even harder, almost knocking Skylight off balance. Tanker yelled. "Skylight!"_

_Skylight locked optics with Tanker, and only then did Tanker see how afraid she was. She didn't know what was going on. She had never been in the mines before. She didn't understand. Tanker felt a pang of guilt, and through the hole, gestured for Skylight to come to him._

_Skylight, extremely carefully, made her way over to the slab keeping her and Tanker apart, dodging the falling metal as best as she could. Before she made it to the hole, another tremor sent Skylight sprawling to the ground. A shard fell dangerously close to her head, and Tanker almost yelled again. Skylight pushed herself onto her knees, locking optics with Tanker again. She slowly crawled over to the metal slab, right where she could see her bondmates faceplate._

_Tanker reached through the hole, trying to grab onto his bondmate and get her to safety, but he could only get his arm through. Skylight wouldn't be able to fit._

_Skylight gently grasped Tanker's hand. He paused, watching Skylight with concern and confusion. She should run. She should run and try to get away. She should try to find something stable to duck under, just until it was over. Then he'd find her. He would find her. He said that he wouldn't, but he lied,_ he would find her.

_Tanker and Skylight ignored the danger around them, just staring into each others optics, hoping for just one more moment to look at each other and feel their fingers intertwined. Skylight was tearing up, and Tanker could only watch, his vocalizer going mute. Skylight held onto him, and she didn't want to let go._

_Suddenly, the metal slab between them began to snap and bend, and the roof came down with it._

* * *

_He couldn't hear._

_There was a ringing in his audio receptors that blocked out everything else. His vision blurred, but he could see, though it was as if each time he blinked he skipped to at least a Breem ahead. The first time he opened his optics he saw the roof of the tunnel. The second time, he was in a Monorail, but one that appeared to be for emergencies only. The third time, he saw a light._

_Slowly, his hearing returned, and he heard Cybertronians rushing around him, yelling at each other, though he couldn't make out the words. Tanker looked around, and saw that there were medics everywhere. There were medical berths and datapads, and so many injured._

_Tanker glanced around again, and he noticed a monitor on the wall, unused by anyone. Cybertronian words shone on the screen, and Tanker blinked._

Protihex Medical Center.

_He was just in Kaon, almost halfway across the planet. Why was he in Protihex? Protihex might have been the most advanced Medical Center on Cybertron, but that wouldn't explain why he was there _specifically.

_Tanker slowly sat up, and he felt a sudden pressure on his spark. He ignored it at first, then the pressure grew until it began to hurt. Tanker unconsciously rubbed at his chest, finding it hard to breath._

_The pain suddenly left._

_Tanker blinked. He wondered what that was. He found the strength to stand, feeling very light. It took him a moment to realize that he felt strangely empty inside. He felt like he had lost something important to him, but he couldn't tell_ what._ Tanker thought hard, but his mind kept returning to the pain he had felt, and the loss he was feeling. It was almost as if his bond had been severed-_

_Tanker's optics widened, and he looked around frantically for his bondmate. He should be able to tell where she was. The bond should help him, but he couldn't feel her anywhere. He began walking through the halls, looking at each Cybertronian in an attempt to find her. He scanned each of medical berths with his optics, the emptiness in his chest becoming ever more present. He was tempted to ask someone if they had seen her, but right when he was about to do so, a bright blue frame caught his attention and he almost gasped._

_"Sky?" Tanker's voice was barely above a whisper. He was blind to the medics rushing by him, trying to get to every patient. His optics were locked onto the limp form laid on a medical berth before him. He unconsciously stepped forward, reaching out towards his bondmate. "Skylight?"_

_A white and orange medic hurried next to Skylight, scanning her vitals with a concerned expression in his optics._

_"No," Tanker slowly shook his head, trying to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn't real. He continued forward, ignoring the medics who bumped into him as they tried to attend to others. Tanker felt lubricant sting his optics. "No. Please."_

_He stopped next the the berth her form was rested on, oblivious to the medic yelling at him to get away._

_"Sky, please!" Tanker had to be held back by another medic to keep him from interfering. The white and orange scanned Skylight's helm, and his optics widened. The medic quickly grabbed a defibrillator, and it buzzed as it charged before it was thrust down onto Skylight's chassis. There was a crackle of electricity and Skylight stiffened._

_There was no response. Time seemed to stop for Tanker as he waited for the white and orange medic to try again. A buzz resounded from the defibrillator, and the medic brought it down again._

_Skylight remained still and silent on the berth. Tanker tried to yell at the medic to try again, but his voice wouldn't cooperate with him. The medic held the defibrillator in his hands, heard a loud buzz, and thrust it down. Skylight tensed up. Electricity trailed along her frame. The medic stepped back and waited._

_Nothing._

_Tanker watched as the Medic called two others to help him lead her away, and Tanker made a move to go after them, but the mech restraining him was really good at his job, and held Tanker back. Tanker let out a shaky breath._

_"Wake up..."_

_The mech who had been restraining him finally let go, but Tanker didn't make a move to walk away. He only stared in the direction his bondmate had been taken. She would be alright._ _She_ had _to be alright._

_"I need you to look at me," The mech said quietly, gently forcing Tanker to pry his optics away from the corridor and face him. The mech was dark yellow with bright blue optics. He was slightly shorter than Tanker, and the fact that the mech was able to restrain him would have surprised the miner if he hadn't been so preoccupied worrying about his bondmate. The mech watched Tanker with concern before speaking again. "I'm Voltlock. I need you to answer this question, alright? Do you know that femme?"_

_Tanker didn't hear the whole sentence, but he heard the last question clearly. Tanker gave a nod, though it was stiff, as he was still in shock. "... Yes."_

_"Can you tell me her name?" Voltlock said taking a step back to give Tanker space. Voltlock walked over to a nearby table and picked up a datapad, and it glowed as it buzzed to life. "I may be able to find a file on her that could give us something we could use to help her."_

_"Her name is Skylight," Tanker said, pausing before he continued. "She's an archivist in the Hall of Records."_

_Voltlock nodded as he quickly jotted the information down. "Do you know why she was in the underground?"_

_Tanker froze. His breathing quickened as he stared ahead. His voice was distant with realization. "I took her there. She said she wanted a tour."_

_Voltlock watched Tanker's expression change, and he became concerned that Tanker might fall into stasis from shock. Voltlock carefully guided Tanker to a nearby bench, and the miner slowly sat down, still in shock at the recent events. Voltlock paused momentarily, then he handed Tanker the datapad._

_"I found information on her, but more would help her a lot," Voltlock explained. "Can you look for more information about her?"_

_Tanker nodded again._

_Voltlock gave a soft smile. Then, he pointed to where Skylight had been taken. "If anyone comes out of that corridor, you can ask them about Skylight, alright?"_

_Tanker nodded, though he might not have known that he did. Voltlock gave Tanker a reassuring pat on the shoulder before he stood up and went over to another patient._

_Tanker didn't know how long he had sat there. He saw medics walking by to attend to patients, he saw many Cybertronians visit their friends, children, carriers, sires... bondmates. Tanker stayed still until the night, sitting silently as Kliks turned to Joors, and the sun was no longer in the sky._

_He noticed that no one ever entered or exited the corridor where Skylight had been taken._

_Tanker was concerned. He couldn't feel Skylight anymore. His bond connected her to him. He should feel her, but he_ didn't. _That usually meant the bond had been broken, but he would _never _break their bond, and neither would she. They meant too much to each other. She wouldn't _leave _him like that._

_Tanker felt a hand rest on his shoulder, which tore him from his thoughts. Tanker looked up to see a mech watching him with concern. Tanker glared at the mech, and when he spoke he accidentally sounded more polite than he intended. "Who are you?"_

_The mech clearly didn't notice Tanker's discomfort. He smiled slightly as he removed his hand from Tanker's shoulder and stood up straight. "My name is Motor. I am a medic. Is there something you need?"_

_At that question, Tanker gave Motor his full attention. "My bondmate. She's been hurt, and I haven't seen a medic treat her."_

_Motor nodded, and he began typing something into the datapad. He paused for a moment and looked at Tanker. "What is your bondmate's name?"_

_"Skylight," Tanker answered, voiced dropping slightly. "She was hurt during the mine collapse."_

_Motor nodded again, typing the name into the Medical Database to find out what was happening to her. Motor searched through the patient records, but there was no one named Skylight listed in any of the files. He checked other listings to see if she was accidentally added to another section, reading through the visitor listings, assigned Medics, even the shipping orders, but he could find nothing. Motor frowned, and started a wide search of every database, and the datapad lightly beeped._

_Motor read the information, and his optics widened for a moment before he let out a barely audible breath of defeat. Motor looked to Tanker with sympathy. His voice was quiet as he spoke. "I'm so sorry, but she didn't make it."_

_Tanker felt like his spark had shattered inside of his chest. He stared directly at Motor, though he couldn't see him. There was darkness clouding the edges of his vision, and the darkness seemed to replay what he had just been told, over and over again, but for some reason Tanker couldn't understand what was being said._

_She didn't make it._

_Skylight didn't make it._

_Tanker couldn't understand. He couldn't make sense of it. It was as if he had heard it in a different language, a different dialect of Cybertronian that he had never heard before, something other that what had just been said._ Anything.

Please!

_He wished that everything would just go back to normal, and he could go to the Hall of Records, after mining in the underground, meeting Skylight near the entrance way, greeting her with an embrace, telling her how much he loved her, spending as much time as they could together, just like they always did._

_Tanker's breath was becoming extremely warm as his internal fans tried to cool his overheating frame down, visible in the air. He almost began shaking, and it took all of his willpower to keep himself from doing so. Motor's words were drilling themselves into Tanker's processor, and no matter how much he tried to ignore the pain, it hit him at full force and he nearly crashed._

Skylight.

_Tanker's optic twitched slightly as he returned to the present. He looked up at Motor, expressionless. Static lingered in Tanker's voice as he spoke. "... That white and orange mech who was treating her... Who was he?"_

_It was a seemingly innocent question. Motor looked over the report, and found a name that he recognized. "An assistant medic, designation 'Ratchet'."_

_Ratchet._

_Ratchet killed his bondmate._

_Tanker's expression darkened, and he abruptly stood up. He refused to look at Motor as he spoke. "Thank you."_

_With that, Tanker stalked away, leaving the confused medic behind as he went._

_Tanker noticed nothing as he walked, everything passing by him in a blur. He didn't notice when he exited the Medical Center, he didn't notice when he traveled down the dark streets of Protihex back to Iacon, he didn't notice when he rode the Monorail for two Joors all the way to Kaon, he didn't notice when he walked past the Gladiatorial Pits, he didn't notice when he entered his quarters, he didn't notice that he had been standing in the doorway for Breems._

_Tanker collapsed to his knees, shaking. He was alone. He had no one. Nothing mattered to him. He lived for Skylight._

_He had nothing to live for._

_Tanker slowly stood up, legs shaking as he made his way over to a wall, and he sat down against it, not knowing what he could do. He stared ahead. What could he do? She was..._

_She was..._

_Tanker suddenly felt a weight in his hand. He looked down, and he saw a datapad. The one Voltlock had given him. He had forgotten to return it. He had forgotten to search for information on Skylight._

_Guilt._

_Tanker began to shake again. Maybe if he had found something, his bondmate would have still been there. It was his fault. He felt horrible. It was his fault. It was his fault._

_Tanker felt his optics sting. Maybe he could still look. Maybe he could still save her. Maybe Motor had lied. Tanker knew that Motor had told the truth, but he had to try._ _He_ had_ to. He needed to try, he couldn't just give up on her. He _couldn't.

_Tanker activated the datapad, and he began looking through the many files stored on it. There were many categories. Medical files, from both medics and patients alike. Tanker found what he was looking for. Tanker opened the patient medical files, searching for someone in particular._

_There was only one file on the datapad, and Tanker opened it up to see..._

_Skylight._

_The pain in his chest returned at full force. Her file had all of her information on there. In the corner, there was a picture of her faceplate, smiling. Tanker carefully caressed the picture, his breath coming out short. Skylight was only a picture. There was nothing left. She was..._

_Gone._

_Tanker wanted to look at the picture forever. It was the only way he could ever see her smiling face again. He couldn't let her go. He would never let her go._

_Maybe if he had done something different, and if he hadn't brought her to the mine like he had said he would, maybe she would still be there._

_Tanker had begun reading through Skylight's file. He already knew almost everything that was in there. The two of them didn't keep secrets. They told each other everything. There were so many things left out of the file. Tanker knew Skylight better than any Medical Database ever could._

_Tanker remembered the first time he saw her._

_He had been part of a mining detail in one of the lower sections of Iacon. No one knew the layout of that area, or its tunnels, so Tanker was sent to the Hall of Records to acquire a datapad with a map and scans of the underground. Tanker had never been to the archives before, so he didn't know what he was looking for, or how to find it. A bright blue and white femme came up to him and asked is he needed any assistance. Tanker hadn't expected anyone like her to help someone like him. He was a miner, one of the lowest class. Tanker refused her help, but the femme managed to find what he was looking for in less than a Klik._

_They introduced themselves, and started a conversation that lasted much longer than Tanker intended, and he returned to the mines to receive a harsh scolding and restrictions, but he didn't mind. At the end of each following day, Tanker visited the Hall of Records of his own accord. He and Skylight quickly became close. The began to care deeply for each other. Skylight was the only one Tanker ever trusted, or who ever cared about him at all._

_But, the mining detail ended, and Tanker had to return to Kaon. Tanker and Skylight believed that it might have been the last time they would see each other. Not wanting to say goodbye, they became as close as they could ever be._

_They bonded._

_Tanker was forced to leave, but the pain was dulled. He could feel her through his spark, and he wasn't alone anymore._

_They hadn't seen each other in the longest time, when Tanker had been injured. The cables in his arm had dislocated, and he couldn't work for three Orbital Cycles. Tanker took that time to surprise Skylight with a visit, driving across the planet just to see her again. She was so happy to see him._

_Tanker smiled at the memory, but that smile soon vanished when he thought about how he would never have any more. Not with Skylight._

_Not with anyone._

_Tanker reached the bottom of Skylight's file, where is summarized the event in the mine, and at the Medical Center._

_'Skylight', femme archivist. Mine collapse, severe internal damage. Operation unsuccessful._

_Tanker took a shuddering breath. Operation unsuccessful. That would have meant that the medics had tried. Tanker searched even deeper into the system, locating a file hidden away so it would be hard to find. Tanker pulled up a Medical File, but not a patients. He needed to know more about the one who made him lose her. Tanker opened up the file, and he glared._

_Ratchet. The white and orange medic that wouldn't revive her._

It was his fault.

_Ratchet killed her. Ratchet killed Skylight. Tanker could see a picture of the medic's faceplate. Tanker let his fingers dig into the screen as they trailed down, leaving marks similar to claws. He scratched across the Ratchet's picture, but the medic's file hadn't been damaged in the least._

_Tanker roared, whipping the datapad at the wall, which dented the edges, but left the main screen unharmed. His optics became blurry, but he wouldn't let them leak. He wouldn't let that murderer have the satisfaction of making him lose control. He_ wouldn't lose control.

_Tanker had to keep himself from punching the floor. He was angry. He was so angry, and he knew that Ratchet deserved it. Ratchet deserved to be hated. Ratchet took Skylight away from him. He took her_ away.

_Tanker's breaths were heavy. His processor began running with ideas. His frame was beginning to overheat. He started making plans, though he didn't know if he was doing it himself or not._

_Tanker stood up, slightly wobbly, and walked over to where the datapad had been tossed. He slowly picked it up, but he couldn't manage to make it back to where he had been seated. He fell to his knees again, holding the datapad in his hands._

_The datapad glitched, and Tanker stared into the damaged screen as his fingers scratched across Ratchet's file once again._

_"He will remember."_

* * *

_Tanker woke up screaming._

_He was laying on the floor, forced into shut down from overheating. He was facing the roof, but that's not what he saw. It was pitch black. He could only see his bondmate, beaten and bleeding, staring at him with concern and disappointment. Energon dripped from her mouth, and the light faded from her optics. Tanker watched her die._

_Lubricant was falling from his optics, trailing down the side of his faceplate. He was shivering, but he wasn't cold. He choked out a sob, and he made no move to stop it. His chest was empty, and he was so alone. She was gone. Skylight was dead. She was dead, and Tanker could feel the loss in his spark._

_It was all the medic's fault._

_Tanker sat up, rubbing his optics, trying to stop. He shouldn't be like that. Ratchet should be reduced to what he had just been. Ratchet was going to pay, and Tanker knew how to make him._

_He had a plan._

_Ratchet would pay._

_Tanker knew that for his plan to work he had to go somewhere he really didn't want to go. He never wanted to see that place again. He wanted to stay as far away from it as possible, but he felt like his spark was tugging him back there. He had to go back._

_Tanker got to his feet, much more stable than he had been earlier that Orbital Cycle. He left the datapad on the floor. He had enough information to proceed. He saw the map, he saw the schedule, and he saw the layout of the building. He had everything he needed. Tanker held himself high, and he left his quarters._

_The streets were quiet. It was late. Tanker hadn't shut down for very long. It was still the day she died._

_He shook his head, then began making his way towards where he wanted to go. No one seemed to notice him. That was good. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. Someone might catch on and try to save the medic. Tanker wouldn't allow it. Anyone who interfered with his mission was going to be taken down._

_The Gladiatorial Pits were still loud, and the fight sounded the same as the last. Tanker could only hear the screams. He smirked. He knew he'd have to get used to that sound. Better get it over with early. But, Tanker had a job to do, and he was going to do it. He passed the Gladiatorial Pits, and he stopped in front of a place he knew all too well._

_Suddenly he wanted to leave. He was beginning to change his mind. He didn't want to go in there. But he knew he had to. He had to take a deep breath to calm himself, before he stepped forward._

_Tanker entered the mines._

_The lights that had glowed to light the tunnels had gone dim after the collapse. They reactivated as he walked by them, making Tanker's path bright enough to find his way. He had worked in these tunnels for a very long time. He knew the mine as if he had lived there his entire life._

_He also knew it had a secret._

_Tanker walked to an area that he had never been in before, only heard of. It was said that it was the most dangerous area of the mines._

_Sector D-16._

_Tanker traced a finger along a crack in the wall, stepping over tools, and a large pile of metal. He noticed that many of the main tunnels hadn't collapsed. He refused to think too deeply about it, because he knew that he would only feel guilty. He shouldn't feel guilty. It wasn't his fault._

_Tanker's hand met a large, flat part of a wall. Tanker paused, then his smirk grew. He had found what he was looking for._

_He carefully picked up a nearby hammer, and after a moment, he slammed it against the wall. He heard a loud crack, and a small wave of dust fell from the roof. Tanker hesitated, looking around to see if another sector of the mine was going to collapse again, but everything quickly settled down. Tanker smirked, holding the hammer up once again, and thrusting again the wall, hitting it again and again, the crack growing louder with every impact._

_With one last swing, a wave of dust flew forward and that entire section of the wall crumbled to the ground. Tanker tossed the hammer aside, and grinned at what he saw._

_A weapons storage room._

_Tanker grinned. How convenient that one was placed right next to the mine. Tanker stepped inside, carefully avoiding metal shards that he had knocked onto floor. Tanker looked around, taking in everything in the room._

_There were weapons everywhere. Guns, swords, hammers, everything that Tanker could have imagined and more. Some of them were stained with Energon, and Tanker realized where he was. It was a storage room for Gladiatorial weapons. He was directly under the Gladiatorial Pits. He couldn't hear any fights, either because the last one had ended, or because he was too far underground to hear. Tanker shrugged, not really caring either way._

_Tanker inspected each of the weapons, looking for one that was common, and therefor wouldn't be tied to him in any way. He looked through the many shelves of weapons, noting that they weren't put in any particular order. There were hammers, machine guns, wrecking balls, and many others._

_Tanker saw only one arm cannon, far in the back, apparently unnoticed for a long time. It was powerful, but Tanker didn't care about that. It needed to be unnoticeable until it was used. Tanker glanced around again, when something caught his optic._

_A laser rifle. A very common weapon in the Gladiatorial Pits. While it wasn't the most powerful, it would get the job done with great accuracy. Tanker smirked, walking up to the gun and placing a hand on it._

_It would do just fine._

_Tanker took a step back, and suddenly the glow of his optics intensified, enveloping the laser rifle with a blue light. The metal of Tanker's arm began to shift, and take the form of the weapon in front of him. Tanker finished the scan, leaving the original laser rifle unharmed and unmoved. Tanker glanced at his arm with interest. It had changed into an exact replica of the laser rifle. He smirked. He had what he came for. Tanker stepped out of the room, and began making his way towards the exit._

_He heard something moving behind him. Tanker whipped around, the gun he had just scanned pointing directly towards the weapons storage. He supposed that whoever had come into the mines would be a great test subject for the weapon._

_He couldn't see anyone. He looked down each of the tunnels, but there was no one there. Tanker stayed still for a moment, then he shifted the gun back into his hand, taking interest at the transformation. He had never had a weapon before._

_Tanker heard another noise. He whipped around at the sound, staring at the large pile of metal. He blinked, unsure that what he was seeing was real._

_The metal was moving._

_Someone was underneath._

_Tanker approached the pile carefully, pulling off the giant chunks of metal, which took a few Nano-Kliks, and once most of the debris was removed, Tanker's optics widened and he gaped._

_A young mech, a_ sparkling, _sat under the rubble, leg trapped under a large beam. His frame was mostly grey, but some slabs of armor were a dark purple._

_Apparently the medics had missed someone._

_Which was to be expected from_ them.

_Tanker instantly knelt down next to the sparkling, carefully moving the beam off of his leg. The sparkling didn't even wince, which Tanker found surprising. Tanker forced himself to look normal and calm. He didn't want anyone to suspect that he was trying to avenge his bondmate._

_Tanker got a better look at the sparkling after the beam was removed. He was covered in dents and scars, and some of them were old, clearly not obtained from the mine collapse. _

_There was a large gash across his chest, which looked very recent. It was stained with dry Energon, apparently having healed itself up as best as it could while trapped inside of a cave. It wasn't healed properly, and would most likely have to be treated by a medic. Tanker didn't care if the sparkling got help or not. That was not why he was there._

_Tanker smiled gently. "What's your name?"_

_The young sparkling just watched him, clearly not trusting him at all. Tanker didn't know if the sparkling couldn't speak, or if he was just choosing not to, but he didn't care either way. But he did care about the fact that the sparkling was_ there.

_Tanker couldn't believe that the Guilds of Cybertron had permitted anyone so young to work in such a dangerous place. The mines were not safe for a sparkling. He could have easily been offlined. The Guilds were corrupt, and Tanker could tell by the look in the sparkling's optics that he felt the same way._

_He could easily take advantage of that._

_"I'm going to the Protihex Medical Center," Tanker said slowly, and almost telling the truth. "I'm going to get Energon for the miners injured from the accident. Do you want to help me?"_

_The sparkling perked up slightly, though it was barely noticeable, when Tanker stated that he wished to help the victims of the collapse. The sparkling seemed to think for a moment, then firmly nodded. Tanker grinned, standing up and taking a step back as the sparkling stood up as well. The sparkling held himself high, almost as if being crushed hadn't caused him any pain._

_"But, we need to stop somewhere first," Tanker explained to the sparkling. "I need to pick something up for a... friend of mine."_

_The sparkling frowned, but he nodded. Tanker nodded in return, then he began walking back the way he came._

_The tunnels were not hard to navigate. The only difference than patrolling the mines and what Tanker was doing then, was that he wasn't there to work, and there was a small sparkling striding behind him. Tanker grinned. He had an extra set of hands._

_The lights that had activated when Tanker walked by them suddenly shut themselves off. Tanker stopped short, wondering what had happened. He walked by one, but nothing happened, as if they didn't want to lead Tanker where he wanted to go. Tanker frowned, but he shrugged it off. He was already close enough that he could see the light of the outside. Tanker walked out of the mine, and once he took a few steps away from the entrance he looked back to see if the sparkling was still there._

_Sure enough, the young mech was standing right behind him, waiting impatiently for him to lead. Tanker nodded again in acknowledgement, then started towards somewhere he had gone to almost every day._

_They passed the Gladiatorial Pits, and Tanker noticed that the sparkling was listening to what was happening, but didn't seem to show any response to it. Tanker was confused by that, but he said nothing about it._

_They continued walking, until they arrived at the Monorail Transport Station. It was oddly empty, which was perfect for Tanker. Less witnesses. Tanker let the sparkling enter first, then he followed, and the Monorail swiftly started moving._

_Tanker and the sparkling rode the Monorail in silence, though the only difference between the silence before was that the sparkling was not Skylight. Tanker frowned, then quickly shook the thought from his processor. He needed to focus. Skylight needed him to focus._

_The ride seemed much longer than ever before, even though it was actually shorter that usual. It felt like forever until the Monorail finally stopped, and Tanker got off faster than he had before. The sparkling didn't comment, though Tanker wasn't sure he could. The sparkling glanced around, and Tanker could tell that it was the very first time the sparkling had been in Iacon. Tanker gestured for the sparkling to follow._

_They weren't going to stay in Iacon._

_It took them a while, but they went down the streets of Iacon all the way back to Protihex. While Tanker wanted to go to the Medical Center as soon as possible, he had one last thing to do._

_Protihex was easier to navigate than Iacon, so Tanker found where he was looking for very quickly. The streets were almost deserted, as no one wanted to bother them. It was never guarded, because no one would ever think of harming that place. Tanker didn't intend to harm it. He just needed something from it._

_Tanker stopped in front of the entrance, not at all surprised by how large it was. There were supports in the passageway, though they didn't block the path. Tanker walked inside, the sparkling following behind him._

_It was very dark, but Tanker could see a light coming from the farthest room. Tanker smirked, knowing that he was so close to what he needed to do._

_Tanker and the sparkling walked into the giant chamber, and they both noticed that their chests began to feel rather warm. That was a normal Cybertronian reaction to finding their way back home._

_They stood before the Well of Allsparks._

_Tanker smiled. A_ real _smile, for the first time since Skylight had been lost. He was home. But he knew he couldn't stay. He had to finish what he started._

_Tanker looked down to the sparkling, and spoke. "I need to take a spark out of the Well."_

_The room grew slightly colder once he said that, but it was barely noticeable. The sparkling didn't respond to what Tanker had said, nor the sudden change in temperature. Tanker's smirk returned, and he walked up to the Well, looking inside._

_The Well was full of life._

_Sparks glowed everywhere, and their light was so strong that it took Tanker a moment to find a single one. He watched the sparks for a Klik longer, almost in awe at the beginning and end of Cybertronian lives. Then, Tanker remembered what he had to do, and he held his hand out close to the light, about to reach inside._

_"Will it harm them?"_

_Tanker withdrew his hand, glancing around for a moment before looking towards the sparkling and wondering if he heard what he thought he heard._

_The sparkling was staring up at Tanker, judging him. The sparkling waited for a response, and when he didn't get one, he spoke again. "If we take them out of the Well before they're ready, will it harm them?"_

_Tanker had to wait a moment to get over the surprise of the sparkling speaking to him, before he shook his head and answered. "... Of course not. They'll be just fine."_

_That was a lie. Sparks that left the Well before they were ready usually didn't survive. If they did survive, and that was only if they managed to get back inside of the Well on their own, they became defective, and defectives didn't survive long. Whichever spark they chose, would die._

_The sparkling appeared to believe Tanker, and he stepped forward to peek into the Well. Tanker smirked, suddenly feeling very tired. "What's your name?"_

_The sparkling paused, looking back to Tanker with a frown. He seemed to think about it for a Klik, as it took him a while to respond. The sparkling eyed Tanker briefly before replying. "D-16."_

_Tanker blinked, then he let out a chuckle. "No, that's the mine sector where you worked. What's your_ name?_"_

_The sparkling's frown deepened._

_"I was never given a name," The sparkling said, looking back to the Well. "I was just a tool. I will not let them decide who I am anymore."_

_The sparkling glanced back to Tanker for a short moment, determination clear in his optics._

"My name is D-16."

_Tanker watched the self-proclaimed D-16 with mild surprise, as he returned to inspecting the Well intently, looking for some way to get a spark out. The sparkling knew it wouldn't be as simple as reaching a hand inside and taking one._

_D-16 glared into the Well, as the many sparks inside glowed with life. He didn't know which ones were newly formed, or which had been departed. He had never been told which were which, but he didn't care. They would all just be victims of the Guilds anyway. The miners needed Energon right then, and he was going to get it, one way or another._

_Tanker reached into the light, and the sparks immediately spread away from his hand. He smirked slightly at the power he had over them, knowing that one movement he made could end a life that had never even began yet. He moved his hand around the light, and the sparks kept moving away from him. When he tried to grab one, it quickly slid out of his reach. Tanker frowned, trying again and again to snatch one out of the Well, but it was futile._

_Tanker took a step back with a huff, not knowing what to do. He needed the spark for his plan, and they were_ wasting his time. _D-16 rolled his optics, walking over to the Well and looking inside._

_D-16 carefully reached into the light, and left his hand still in the center. The sparks moved away, just as they did for Tanker. Tanker smirked at the kid thinking he would be able to do something that even he wasn't able to do, then he noticed something that made his smile drop and optics widen._

_One spark, the smallest of the ones close to the top, stayed where it was, not hiding away like the others. I was clearly the newest spark in the Well, the most recently formed, with a shine that only glowed from an unborn spark. Sparks that had rejoined the Well often stayed near the bottom, becoming one and merging together at the lowest point, while new sparks were drawn towards the outside. No one understood why. Scientists tried to find a reason for the behavior, as glow alone was enough to distinguish a new and old spark from each other, but they found nothing. The most common theory was that the old sparks were drawn closer to the core of Cybertron, though they still didn't know_ why.

_D-16 remained calm and still, and he watched the newest spark with interest. Slowly, the spark drew near, as if it trusted him. Tanker watched the whole event unfold, and he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Eventually, the spark slipped right into D-16's grasp, and the young miner pulled it out of the Well without hesitation._

_The spark began to flicker, it's light glowing frantically in an attempt to return to the Well. Soon, it's glow faded entirely, and D-16's optics widened. Before he could say anything, the spark's light returned, though not as bright as before._

_Tanker grinned, holding out his hand and gestured for D-16 to hand him the spark. D-16 watched Tanker for a moment, before he placed the spark in Tanker's hand. Tanker nodded, holding the spark close, pretending that he would protect it._

_"I need you to guard the Well while I step outside," Tanker said, still ever kind. "Can you do that for me?"_

_D-16 looked at Tanker in a way that clearly showed he could, and that he thought Tanker had a screw loose for even asking. Tanker's smile didn't falter. He turned around, then walked out of the chamber, stepping out into the light of the outside. Everything was almost in place. There was just one more thing._

_Tanker dropped the spark on the ground in front of the Well entrance, not caring if he broke it or not. The spark flickered weakly, almost going dark for a moment before coming back strong. It was fighting to survive._

_Tanker smirked. The trap was set. There was nothing more he could do. He just had to wait. He stepped back, hiding behind a support that held the wall up high._

_It took nearly a Breem, which had Tanker's patience was growing very thin, when the shape of a femme made itself known. Tanker smirked. She was right on time. He waited for her to see, but as he waited, he saw that she hadn't noticed. Tanker grimaced. She needed to see. Tanker quietly raised a leg, then thrust his foot down against the floor, making a loud bang that resounded through the area._

_The femme paused midstep, looking around for what had made the noise, when her optics caught onto a small light on the ground. She cautiously walked closer, fully coming into view. She had dark blue optics, and her frame was a dark burgundy color, with traces of red._

_Rooter._

_Rooter stared at the light in shock. It couldn't be what she thought it was. There wasn't any possible way._

_She was staring at an unborn spark._

_Rooter didn't understand how it could have ended up just outside of the Well. Rooter wanted to alert someone, but there was no one in sight. She thought about taking it back herself, but she was not authorized to do so. She didn't know what to do. She stood there for a Klik, looking very uncertain._

_Slowly, Rooter knelt down next to the spark, ever so carefully taking it into her hands. It flickered harshly, and Rooter almost gasped. She stood up, then she gave one last look around for someone who could return it to the Well. There was still nobody there. Rooter frowned, concerned. She didn't know if what she was about to do was the right thing, but she didn't know what else she could do._

_Rooter turned around, heading in the direction she was walking before._

_Tanker's smile returned in full. His plan was working so far._

_Tanker turned around, walking back into the chamber where D-16 was waiting patiently. D-16 glanced at Tanker's hand, and noticed that the spark was no longer there. He didn't ask about it._

_Tanker spoke up. "It's time to go get the Energon."_

_D-16 nodded, and followed Tanker as the miner made his way out of the room, and into the outside._

_Tanker and D-16 quickly caught up to Rooter, though they stayed far enough behind that she couldn't see them without looking for them. She was walking slower than usual, because she was extremely concerned. That made it easier to keep up with her. Tanker continued following her. After all, they were going to the same place._

_The Protihex Medical Center slowly came into view. Tanker stopped, waiting for Rooter to enter so it wouldn't seem suspicious. D-16 stood behind Tanker, looking up at him with an unimpressed optic ridge raised. They stayed outside for a moment, then they began making their way inside._

_Rooter was no where to be seen. Tanker growled quietly. He shouldn't have waited so long. He didn't know where she was. That could ruin his plans._

_D-16 stepped in front of him. "The refueling station has an Energon stockpile."_

_Tanker blinked. He had forgotten why the sparkling had come with him. Tanker frowned, but quickly replaced the frown with a forced smile, and he led D-16 down a nearby hall, to the refueling station. There were many Cybertronians inside, most drinking from cubes._

_D-16 was there because he wanted to get Energon for the injured lower class. But Tanker was only there searching for one mech in particular. It was highly unlikely that the mech would be there, but it was the only thing Tanker could do. It took him a moment, but when he finally spotted the mech Tanker grinned sadistically._

_Ratchet was inside the refueling station, apparently waiting for something. Tanker didn't have to stand there long to find out what, because Rooter soon entered the room, and Tanker knew what was in the hand she clutched to her chest._

_It was time._

_Tanker walked into the room, D-16 following behind him, and they approached a brown and gold Energon sorter that stood in front of the stockpile. The sorter looked at Tanker lazily, not caring about what he had to say before Tanker even said it. None the less, Tanker spoke anyway._

_"I am a representative of the miner caste," Tanker said, looking incredibly serious, as if what he was telling was the absolute truth. "We request that the Medical Center share their stockpile with us."_

_The sorter eyed Tanker up and down, obviously judging him. The sorter didn't even think about his answer before he gave it. "No."_

_Tanker faked his fury, yet for some reason he was very good at it. "And why the Pit_ not?_"_

_The sorter looked unimpressed. "Because the Miner stockpile is to be used over the course of the Orn. Running out after only one Orbital Cycle is no concern or ours."_

_Tanker continued pressing, noticing that he had gained the attention of everyone in the room, including Ratchet. "The mine_ collapsed!_ Most of the Energon exploded during the cave in! We don't have enough to last a Breem!"_

_The sorter still didn't care. He crossed his arms. "As I said before, that is no concern of ours. This is the Medical stockpile. You'll have to wait until the next Orn for another delivery of Energon."_

_Tanker growled, glaring at Ratchet through the corner of his optics. As if to release pent up energy, he quickly decided what he was going to do. He led the D-16 away, then he turned back around. He shifted his arm into a gun, and ignored everyone's shocked gasps. Tanker smirked, then fired at the sorter._

_Tanker knew that the sorter was going to dodge, so he quickly ran out of the room, taking cover in the hallway. An Energon explosion roared throughout the Medical Center, and it almost knocked the wall Tanker was leaning against down._

_Tanker's audio receptors shut themselves off in an attempt to save themselves from overloading at the sound of the huge explosion. Tanker covered his head to try to keep himself from getting badly damaged. After a moment, his hearing returned, and Tanker slowly looked around the corner, into the refueling station._

_It was a disaster. There were bodies everywhere. The lights had been blown out, which made it seem like it was night. There was so much destruction. Tanker smirked. His gun was very powerful. It would no doubt be useful later on._

_Tanker stood up, looking at each Cybertronian frame in an attempt to find a certain one. It took a moment, but Tanker finally saw him. He wasn't moving._

_Tanker felt very tired all of a sudden. Did he do it? Did he avenge his bondmate? Tanker tried to find an answer, but he felt no different. He felt like nothing had changed._

_So he didn't succeed._

_A mech ran up to Ratchet, and began trying to rouse him. Tanker remembered that medic. Tanker narrowed his optics as he tried to think of where he saw that mech before, then it hit him._

_Motor. The medic that told him Ratchet was the one who killed his bondmate._

_Motor helped the now conscious Ratchet stand up, and Ratchet suddenly looked concerned and seemed to ask Motor a question. Tanker frowned, unable to hear the conversation._

_Tanker looked behind him, and saw that D-16 was there, alive and well, and he didn't even look surprised. Only angry. D-16 glared directly into Tanker's optics. "That would have helped the rest of the miners."_

_Tanker nodded. "I know, I know. Listen to me, there might be some left. Everyone's distracted enough for you to get in without being noticed. Whatever's left, you can take it."_

_D-16's frown did not disappear, but he listened to Tanker and strode inside of the refueling station, unseen by the injured or panicked Cybertronians there. Tanker smirked. He had gotten rid of the sparkling. Now he could be as violent as he saw fit._

_Tanker looked around for Ratchet, but he couldn't find him. He growled again. He really needed to learn how to keep track of others._

_He couldn't just waltz in there and ask someone if they'd seen Ratchet. They might recognize him as the one who blew up the Energon stockpile. Tanker kept looking around. His plan was failing again._

_"What_ _are you _doing!?_"_

_Tanker heard Ratchet's voice coming from farther in the room, behind an almost blown up wall. Tanker saw Ratchet holding his hand close to his chest. He looked very concerned. Motor was also there._

_Motor said something too quiet for Tanker to hear, apparently trying to calm Ratchet down, though it didn't work, and Ratchet continued yelling._

_"You're_ point?_"_ _Ratchet replied, protecting that spark with everything he had. "A life is still a life, even _you _should know that! You're a _medic_, for Primus' sake!"_

_Motor quickly hushed his fellow medic, leading him away from the area. Tanker made sure to follow before he lost sight of them. He didn't want to go through that again._

_The two medics walked for a while until they were far away from the refueling station. Motor began speaking to Ratchet, and Ratchet frowned before replying._

_"_Slaggit,_ Ratchet, don't you understand!?" Motor suddenly scolded loudly. "Even the _High Council _tells us to extinguish unborn sparks! It has to die!"_

_Tanker blinked._

_Ratchet had the unborn spark._

_Tanker didn't know how he got it, and he didn't care. He was distracted with Motor getting in his way. Ratchet needed to be alone. Tanker needed to make sure that Ratchet was taken down the first time, because Tanker knew that if he messed up, Ratchet would know what he was trying to do._

_Motor and Ratchet talked for a while longer, before Motor seemed to give in to something. Tanker watched as Motor walked towards a nearby wall, where a screen suddenly made itself known. Motor pressed a few spot on the screen, and to Tanker's surprise the wall began to shift and change until there was a large passageway. Tanker could honestly say he had not been expecting that. He didn't know that there was a passage to the Guilds of Cybertron in Protihex. Perhaps because it was close to Iacon. Just like the Well of Allsparks, there wasn't only one entrance. There were many, in multiple area._

_Ratchet said nothing, only walking into the passage, the door shutting behind him._

_As soon as the door was closed, Tanker came out of hiding. Tanker smirked lightly, slowly stepping up to Motor, whose optics widened in surprise._

_"Hello," Motor said, clearly confused. "Weren't you in the Medical Center earlier this Orbital Cycle?"_

_Tanker nodded, still approaching the medic. "Yes. I'm just here to return a favor."_

_Motor raised an optic ridge, eyeing Tanker carefully. "Can I help you?"_

_"You already have," Tanker answered, finally halting his stride. His smirk grew, and he gave a short bow. "I didn't get a chance to tell you this earlier. Thank you for informing me of the mech who murdered someone that meant everything to me. I plan on returning the favor to him."_

_Motor's optics grew very large, and he stared at Tanker with his mouth open. He posture shifted slowly into a defensive one, standing slightly in front of the door to the Guilds. Motor attempted to calm Tanker down. "You don't have to hurt him."_

_"But he hurt her," Tanker countered, and after he said that Motor stepped directly in between him and the passage. Tanker frowned. He hadn't wanted to harm Motor, but he would have no choice. Motor was trying to stop him from avenging Skylight. Tanker stayed still for a moment, then he lunged forward, ready to punch._

_Tanker had learned enough about fighting in the mines. There were a surprising amount of fights in the underground, and Tanker had to learn how to defend himself rather quickly. Only when attacking Motor did he feel like the training he did finally paid off._

_Motor transformed his hand into a saw, and he raised it in defense. Tanker barely had time to dodge before Motor thrust his arms down and nearly slit a major Energon line in Tanker's shoulder. Motor swung again and again, faster than Tanker had anticipated. Tanker ducked to avoid an attack, which then sailed over his head, but he didn't have enough time to dodge a blow that hit him directly in his left leg. Tanker held back a wince as his leg became almost useless, just weighing him down._

_Motor quickly began closing in, and Tanker only managed to evade another swing by moving a little ways behind the entrance to the Guilds. Motor slowed as he turned the corner, and he didn't have time to react before Tanker punched him in the face and sent him flying backward. Tanker quickly shook the pain out of his hand as Motor pushed himself back up._

_Motor ran towards Tanker, saw held up high with intent to disable. He would not kill Tanker. Tanker was clearly having a processor meltdown, where he had trouble controlling himself, his thoughts, or his emotions. If Motor just cut a certain line on the back of his neck, it would quickly cut all Energon from the processor and knock Tanker out. Of course, Motor wouldn't kill Tanker. If the cable was reconnected immediately, the Energon would flow slowly back through the processor, leaving Tanker unconscious, but keeping him alive._

_Tanker didn't know that Motor didn't intend to kill him. He could only see a threat that would prevent him from getting his,_ Skylight's, _revenge. Tanker had no choice. He never tried using it before, but he had _no choice. _He wouldn't regret it, though. Skylight needed him to do it._

_Tanker transformed his arm and shut his optics tight._

_Motor froze in place, saw suddenly halting midswing above his head. He tried to move, only finding that he could not. His saw automatically changed back into his hand, which then fell limply to his side. He legs began shaking, barely managing to keep him upright. Motor slowly looked down, though he had trouble registering the gaping hole that had just been created through his chest._

_Motor began to sway, and Tanker took that moment to stand up. Tanker quickly grabbed what was left of Motor's chestplate before the medic fell over, holding him up and glaring into his optics._

_"If you were anyone else, I would have killed you right_ now,_"_ _Tanker growled, almost throwing Motor onto the ground. Tanker took a deep breath, then he stood up straight. A calm smirk appeared on his faceplate, as if he had not just nearly beat someone to death. "But, you helped me identify my bondmates killer, and for that I am grateful enough to let you live."_

_If Motor appreciated the sentiment, he didn't show it at all. He attempted to reply, but he only coughed up an alarmingly large amount of Energon, and with a shuddering breath his optics fluttered shut._

_Motor had lost way too much Energon, and he had been shot right through his chest. It was amazing that the blast didn't hit his spark. There was no way he would be able to survive without medical help, and even then he probably would be in stasis lock for millions of Solar Cycles. Tanker let out an annoyed groan. He would probably have to take Motor to a Medical Center. There was one just around the corner, but Tanker refused to bring anyone there,_ ever again.

_Tanker would bring him to the Medical Center in Kaon. It was not as good as the one in Protihex, so no one would even think to look for him there._

_The sound of grinding metal pulled Tanker's optics away from Motor's almost offline frame. Tanker practically spun as he faced the door, and saw it slowly open._

_Tanker watched as Ratchet exited the tunnel, looking extremely tired. Tanker cursed under his breath that Ratchet didn't turn around and notice him, Motor's unconscious frame, or the huge pool of Energon just behind the entrance to the Guilds of Cybertron. He would have been able to take Ratchet out then and there._

_It took a moment for Tanker to realize that Ratchet was no longer holding the spark._

_Tanker grimaced. He didn't know what had happened, or how it affected his plans. Sure, he could always try again, but he didn't want all of the work he did that day to have been for_ nothing.

_Tanker stood up once Ratchet was out of sight, and he walked over to the entrance to the underground. He was about to take a step inside when the door slammed shut. Tanker staggered backwards for a moment, surprised, before he frowned and shifted his arm into a gun he pointed to the door threateningly, prepared to fire before he realized something. There was probably a guard down there. If they heard gunfire, they would never let him in._

_Tanker growled, transforming his arm back to normal and punching the door as hard as he could in his anger. The door creaked in protest, then slowly slid opened. Tanker paused, then he smirked. He knew that a door was no match for him._

_He also knew that he had to get back into character._

_Tanker took a deep breath, and stepped into the passage._

_It was dark, but Tanker didn't care. He just had to get information. The lighting he received the information in didn't matter. He continued onwards, ignoring the groaning of the walls that seemed to say they didn't want him there._

_Eventually, Tanker saw a light at the end of the tunnel, and a guard standing in front of a very large door. Tanker knew that the door led to the Guilds of Cybertron, and wondered if getting in there was the only way to get the information he needed. He let out an exasperated breath. He had hoped that avenging his bondmate would be easier than that. Shaking his head, he stepped into the light, where he could clearly be seen._

_"Excuse me," Tanker said politely. The guard turned to face him, expression stern, and seemingly angry. Tanker feigned ignorance to that fact, and instead looked towards to giant door in front of him. "I have a_ friend, _Ratchet, who just came here with an unborn spark, but I never got a chance to speak with him before he left. Would you mind telling me what has happened?"_

_The guard watched Tanker suspiciously, debating whether to tell the black and white mech the Guilds' ruling._

_He thought it over. Was the miner dangerous? No. Could the information harm the Guilds of Cybertron in any way? No. Would the medic's life be in danger? No. Would the unborn spark be in danger? That didn't matter. It was wrong. It would be better for everyone if it would just extinguish itself._

_"The Guilds have ruled that if the spark becomes defective upon being place in a protoform," The guard explained. "Ratchet will become it's official caretaker."_

_Tanker had to keep himself from smirking, but there was a mischievous glint in his optics that he couldn't hide. Tanker gave something similar to a bow as he stepped backwards. "Thank you for your assistance."_

_With that, Tanker turned around, heading back the way he came. The guard dismissed Tanker's sudden change in behavior, returning to his position in front of the door, keeping the Guilds protected. Tanker didn't care. His processor was already preoccupied with ideas of how to make Ratchet suffer._

_Ratchet was going to be a caretaker, and what better way to break his spark than to take away the one thing he would care for?_


	12. Chapter 11

Orion carefully walked through the halls. He looked into every room and glanced through every window, hoping for any sign of Ratchet, just to assure himself that his caretaker was alright, and that what he had been hearing wasn't _true_.

They had been watching him, medics and assistants alike as he passed by them. They eyed him sympathetically, and he could hear them whisper to each other, one mech saying how it wasn't right, another muttering about how a sparkling shouldn't have to go through any of it, and that Ratchet was horrible for leaving him, but Orion only smiled and waved, refusing to listen to what was being said, or pretending that it didn't bother him.

Orion tried to think of a reason for why Ratchet didn't come back. The uncertainty was making him very worried, just because he didn't _know_. His processor ran possibilities through his head, and they hurt. Maybe he had to heal someone. He might have been needed to cure a sick spark. He could have been trying to help someone. Maybe he needed to fix someone, or maybe he was suddenly busy, or maybe he got lost or maybe he just forgot or...

Maybe he hated him again.

No.

Orion couldn't believe that, he just _couldn't_.

Ratchet wouldn't leave him alone like that. Those medics in the hallway couldn't have really believed that Ratchet _abandoned_ him. Ratchet wouldn't just give him away, right? Of course not. He _wouldn't_.

Right?

Orion shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn't believe that even came to mind. He shouldn't _ever_ doubt his caretaker, not after everything. Not after_ everything_. Not after he had been revived from nearly offlining, not after he survived the underground power station, not after he began getting better, not after he took his first steps, not after he first spoke.

His first word had been Ratchet's name.

That was Orion first clear memory. He did remember things before then, but not as well as he did that moment.

He knew with all his spark that Ratchet wouldn't do that to him.

And even if he did, that wouldn't stop Orion from looking for him, no matter how long it took.

The datapad had the names of five different Cybertronians on it. They must have had some connection to Ratchet. Orion couldn't find anything that connected them to his caretaker. Only one of them had even been treated by him.

Orion passed by an old mech as he walked, who didn't whisper, or stare, who didn't even notice him. Orion paused, turning back around.

That mech. Orion was almost certain that he had seen him before, when he was younger. He couldn't be sure. All memories before he spoke weren't as clear. His processor hadn't been completely developed, though from what he read on his datapad, it should have been by then.

Orion shook his head again. It was best not to think about it. He was a defective. That was his problem, and if he was wrong, then he was wrong. That didn't matter. Wrong or not, he had to find his caretaker. That was the only thing that mattered. Orion didn't want to be alone.

Orion carefully stepped up to the old mech, then stood in front of him to get his attention. "Hello?"

The old mech cocked his head slightly, taking a good look at Orion, before a huge smile appeared on his faceplate. "Hey, aren't you Ratchet's little sparkling?"

Orion immediately perked up at the name, optics wide. "Yes. Yes, I am!"

The old mech gave a hearty laugh. "I knew it! Those medics told me that my processor was going, but this just proved them wrong! You've grown so much!"

The old mech gave Orion a pat on the head, and Orion smiled, before he suddenly remembered what he was doing and why he was there. He might have known. If he was in the Medical Center, he might have _known_. Orion's voice rose with the thought. "Have you seen Ratchet? Do you know where he is?"

The old mech shook his head. "I'm afraid not, little sparkling. Haven't seen him since that last rust incident. I only came back for an examination, don't want my mates to be calling me 'Rusty' again. What a flattering name that is!"

Orion's happiness quickly faded away. So he had nothing, then. No lead, no idea, no clue.

He had nothing.

The old mech's smile remained, not noticing the sudden change of the sparkling's emotions, and he gave another laugh, though softer and shorter than the one before.

"I haven't seen you either, for that matter. You seem to have grown into a fine mech already! Ratchet must be very proud!" The old mech said, patting Orion on the head once again. Orion frowned lightly, glancing down without a word. He had barely started searching, and he was already at a dead end.

But he didn't plan on giving up just then. He had to keep trying. For his caretaker.

"Do you know anyone named 'Fireblast'?" Orion asked, looking back up. The old mech appeared thoughtful for a moment, before he shook his head. Orion continued. "What about 'Bumper Crest'? Or 'Chipset'? Or 'Anchor'? 'Skylight'?"

The old mech shook his head to each name. "No, I don't. Never heard of them before. Are they friends of yours? Other sparklings, perhaps?"

Orion deflated slightly, voice quiet. "No."

Orion didn't know what to do next. He never had to guide himself before, always having someone by his side to help him, but that someone was gone. Orion had no one but himself. He didn't know what to _do_. But he refused to give up. Ratchet would never give up on him.

"Do you know how to get outside?" Orion asked, fully prepared for a negative answer.

The old mech seemed puzzled for a moment, then he nodded with a grin. "Oh yes, little sparkling. Just through that door!"

The old mech pointed behind himself, where a large door stood tall. Orion stared at the door for a moment, then he glanced back up at the old mech. "Thank you."

"That's quite alright, little sparkling," The old mech said merrily. Giving Orion one last pat on the helm, he began walking to where he was going before.

Orion stood there until he couldn't see the old mech anymore, then he looked towards the door again. It was closed. No one was entering or exiting. It seemed like, for just a moment, that everything was okay, no one was in trouble, but Orion knew that it wasn't true.

He stepped forward to start his search.

The door opened, welcoming him to the outside.

He hesitated.

The reason he was never allowed to leave the building suddenly hit him and left him standing frozen in the doorway. He was wrong. Because he was wrong, he could get very sick. It was why Ratchet wouldn't let him outside. That was the only thing he was told, that he could get sick. Ratchet said that he didn't want him to get sick.

He had to risk it. He had to risk being sick. He had to find Ratchet, and the only way he could find his caretaker was if he left the safety of the Medical Center, the only home he had ever known.

Orion took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what he was going to do.

"I'll find you, Ratchet," Orion whispered. "I promise."

And Ratchet had taught him not to make a promise he couldn't keep.

He stepped outside.

Orion finally saw everything from the other side of the glass. Mechs and femmes were going about their lives in content. The streets looked as if they were glowing. The giant buildings reflected the light of the setting sun. Cybertron was beautiful. Any other time, Orion would have been ecstatic about finally doing what he had always wanted to do.

But it meant almost nothing. He wanted to enjoy it, but he couldn't bring himself to, not while the one he wished to see it with was gone.

He took one last look at the building he left, his home, prepared to leave it all behind, though he hoped to return one day. Hardening his will, Orion stepped forth, towards the road, to find someone who knew.

He had no idea where he was going.

He wasn't lost. The Medical Center was right behind him, and if he wandered away, he would be able to see the large building for a long while before it went out of view. But that wasn't the point. As soon as he lost sight of the Medical Center, he would be completely alone.

Orion was a sparkling. A small, innocent, vulnerable sparkling. He _needed_ someone who cared about him. Not like a friend, not like a mentor, not like a medic, someone who truly _cared_. He needed family. His caretaker was the only family he had. He couldn't _lose_ him.

So he would get lost to get his caretaker back.

Orion started down a path beside the nearly empty streets. There were very few Cybertronians driving or flying, or even walking. Perhaps it was because it was late, and getting darker by the Klik. Orion didn't know. He looked around at the Cybertronians wandering the streets, looking for someone he recognized, or who looked like they could help, before someone caught his attention.

A light brown mech was making his way down the nearest road. The mech was probably a seeker, which Orion assumed because of the large wings on his back. Orion looked around at the other Cybertronians, seeing them all with someone else, one or more, while that one seeker was alone. He looked angry, as if something was weighing him down.

Orion felt a gentle tug in his chest, but he just ignored it. He had felt them before, and there were usually from his illness.

He stood there, watching the mech walk away, before he began running towards him.

Orion knew that he shouldn't run. It would strain him, but he didn't want to lose sight of the seeker. He arrived next to the mech rather quickly, and once he did he tried to catch his breath.

The seeker heard someone rush next to him, and he quickly glanced to the ground, where he saw a sparkling breathing deeply beside him. The mech stopped for a moment, as Orion stood up straight and locked optics with him.

"Where are you going?" Orion asked, curiously.

The mech looked down at the sparkling, slightly confused at the sudden question, but answered anyway. "Iacon."

Orion's optics brightened. He had read on his datapad that Iacon was where the Monorail was. It lead to Kaon, where the Gladiatorial Pits were. One of the names on the list might have fought there. They might have seen Ratchet. Orion smiled. "Can I come with you?"

That question also received confusion from the seeker, but he nodded uncertainly.

Orion's smile grew. He was getting closer to an answer. He was getting closer to finding Ratchet. He hoped that Ratchet was alright, wherever he was, and that he was waiting for him there. Orion didn't want to let Ratchet down.

Orion began walking next to the mech, still grinning away. He looked up at the seeker, then tilted his head as something occurred to him. "Why are you walking?"

The mech looked down again with a frown. He waited before speaking, then replied. "Because it's the only way for me to get there."

"You could fly," Orion suggested casually, and the mech immediately stiffened. That movement made Orion quick retract his words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insult you."

It took a moment for the mech to respond. He took a slow breath, then he waved a hand dismissively. "S'fine. M'not mad."

Orion was silent for a short while after that. Was it wrong of him to start such a personal conversation with someone he had just met? He glanced down the road. He couldn't see any of Iacon's buildings. He assumed that it would take a while to arrive. A conversation would pass the time. He smiled. Maybe he would like the seeker, but the mech seemed quite stressed. Was it really a good idea to talk to him? Orion couldn't find a reason for why it wouldn't be.

Orion spoke up again. "Why don't you fly?"

The mech paused again, glancing down at the sparkling with a frown. "Are you trying to give me therapy or something?"

Orion shook his head, gazing down at the ground. He said nothing for a long moment, then he looked back up. "What's your name?"

The mech quickly realized that he wasn't going to get any peace and quiet with the sparkling around, so he just gave up and answered. "I'm Anchor."

"'Anchor'?" Orion repeated, optics wide.

Anchor was one of the names on the list.

Orion ran in front of the seeker and stared up at him, clearly desperate. "Do you know where Ratchet is?"

Anchor stopped in his tracks at the sparkling blocking his path, and raised an optic ridge. "Who's 'Ratchet'?"

"He's a medic at the Protihex Medical Center," Orion said, taking a breath to contain his excitement. He might find out where his caretaker is. He might_ find him_. "He left, and he didn't come back."

Anchor frowned, head cocked slightly to the side. "I don't know any 'Ratchet'."

Orion's happiness fell once again. His voice dropped down to a whisper. "But, your name was on the..."

"Why're you asking me this, anyway?" Anchor asked, seemingly irritated, apparently having not heard what Orion said. He began walking past the sparkling, who after pausing for a Klik returned to walking beside him.

"I'm..." Orion said quietly, voice wavering, before coming back slightly calmer, and loud enough to be heard. "My caretaker, he's missing, and I can't find him. I thought you could..."

"'Could' what?" Anchor countered, rolling his optics. "Fly and look around for him? That's not going to happen."

"Why don't you want to fly?" Orion asked curiously. Anchor took a moment to respond.

"A black and white mech made me fly into a rust storm, that's all," Anchor muttered. "I don't want to talk about it."

If Orion did hear the mention of a familiar mech, he didn't show it at all.

"What happened?" Orion continued. "Did you get lost? Were you hurt?"

The constant questions of the sparkling made the seeker grind his teethplates. He was already stressed, and the thought of what had happened made him finally snap.

"I said, I don't want to talk about it!" Anchor almost yelled, bit his voice was held back as to not make him seem hateful.

The seeker's sudden anger shocked Orion into silence, optics wide. No one had yelled at him like that before. They had yelled about him, but never _at _him. He remembered Voltlock and Ratchet, standing on the other side of a closed door, fighting about his well being. A pang of guilt settled itself in his chest. He didn't want to see anyone else hurt like that, especially not because of him.

Maybe he could help.

Orion spoke softly, watching the seeker who was clearly about to reach his breaking point. "Why don't you fly?"

"I crashed, okay?" Anchor growled, completely fed up with the sparkling's questions. "I crashed, and I got damaged. I was damaged for a _really long_ time. I am _not_ letting myself get damaged _again_."

Orion said nothing. He only nodded. He understood completely. Anchor had gotten hurt. Of _course_ he wouldn't want to hurt again. No one would want to hurt. But sometimes pain couldn't be avoided. Sometimes it couldn't be fixed with time. Orion knew that better than most. There was one thing that kept him going.

Should he tell? Was it something that should be said to someone he didn't know? Anchor shared his frustration with him, although that was probably because he couldn't hold it in any longer. They had only met a short while before. If it didn't need to be said, then it wouldn't have been.

Though, Ratchet had told him not to say anything to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary.

Orion hummed lightly, wondering what he should do. If he didn't say anything, nothing would happen. If he did say something, then it might help. He debated it internally for a moment longer before he looked up at Anchor.

"When I first learned to walk, I stumbled," Orion said suddenly, and Anchor looked down at him with unimpressed optics, wondering why the sparkling would bother telling him that. Orion continued. "Someone was there to catch me, but when I tried to walk again another time, and I was alone, I fell."

Anchor watched Orion with an optic ridge raised, then looked away with lack of interest. "I don't understand what you're getting at."

Orion smiled slightly, looking back up at Anchor. "Maybe you need someone to catch you."

Anchor seemed to pause at that, momentarily stopping in place and staring at Orion with optics glowing in contemplation, before he shook his head and continued on his way.

Orion frowned slightly, making sure to keep in pace with Anchor. "Don't you have someone?"

Anchor almost froze, his voice vanishing for a brief Klik. It returned just as quickly, though softer than before.

"I have a trine," Anchor said, gesturing away with his hand. He smiled lightly at the fond memories, though it quickly turned into a frown. "They weren't there when I fell. They don't know that I'm... afraid. They think that I just don't want to be with them, that I'm avoiding them."

Orion nodded in understanding. "Why don't you tell them the truth?"

Anchor frowned. "They wouldn't believe me. A seeker that's afraid to fly? 'S not really an excuse."

And after that his mind went blank.

Anchor had almost forgotten that he was speaking to a sparkling.

One that he had _just met_.

He had been yelling at a _sparkling_.

Anchor looked down. Orion didn't seem to mind his tone, or any of the things he had said. Anchor blinked, as it suddenly occurred to him that he was ranting about his problems to a tiny_ sparkling_. He didn't even know if the sparkling actually understood what was being said to him. There was no way a _sparkling_ would _care _about his problems.

Orion quickly proved him wrong. "You should find them."

"Why?" Anchor almost spat, talking in a way that made it seem like he was testing the sparkling's intelligence. "Why should I risk getting hurt again?"

Orion frowned lightly, as his own memories began to take hold. He had been sitting, as healthy as he had been in a while, without anyone near. He had wandered through the halls, lost and unable to find his way. Shaking will sickness as a hand was caressing his cheek. An injured leg, and a metal brace. A damaged frame, a caring figure. Orion looked up at Anchor, voice soft. "Sometimes it's better to hurt than to be alone."

Orion meant it. He would rather hurt and be with Ratchet, then to be healed and lose him. Because if he lost Ratchet, he knew he would hurt even worse.

He didn't get a chance to see how Anchor felt about what he said, because when he looked up, he realized where he was.

They had arrived in Iacon already. Orion was surprised. He had thought that the trip would take longer, but he assumed that his conversation with Anchor had lasted much longer than he thought. Orion looked around the area, noticing that it was much larger than Protihex, though the Cybertronians didn't look any different.

In the distance, he could see many things that he recognized from what he researched on his datapad. The Hall of Records, the High Council Tower, the Observatory, and the Monorail Transport Station.

Orion grinned, teethplates showing. He was getting closer. He could feel it. He just had to ride the Monorail to Kaon, and find someone who knew where Ratchet was, or had at least seen him. The names on the datapad must have seen _something_.

Orion was so distracted with his thoughts, that he didn't notice Anchor staring at the sky.

Anchor turned away, back facing the sparkling, and he took a deep breath. He had made his choice.

He paused, fear beginning to take over as it did each time before. He wondered if it was worth it, risking getting hurt again. He could end up crashing again, and he could end up getting damaged again.

But, if he didn't, then he would never see his trine again.

It was worth every risk, just so he wouldn't be alone.

With that thought in mind, Anchor finally stood tall. His wings snapped up straight, and suddenly his frame shifted, arms retracting, legs bending back, his entire body folding in on itself, taking the form of a sleek, strong jet. Anchor hovered in the air for a moment, remembering how it felt to float on nothing. He circled in the air, before he hovered next to Orion, and his voice echoed through the jet. "Hey, I hope you find who you're looking for."

Orion nodded his thanks, and Anchor flew around the sparkling once more. There was nothing to hold him back, and with a loud blast of his engines, he took off into the sky.

Orion watched the seeker fly away, until he was no longer in sight. He smiled, feeling rather warm.

He let out a short cough. It ended as quickly as it started. Orion didn't think too hard about it, as he had been through worse many times before.

Orion looked back around, optics settling on the Monorail. With a smile, he began walking towards it.

The Monorail was the only thing that looked different than anything in Protihex. The buildings only seemed different if Orion tried to find something about them that was. The metal they were made out of was the same as the metal of Protihex, though it did looked cleaner, and build with more care. Orion didn't know why, but he didn't really mind. They were all buildings, it didn't matter how they were built.

Orion stopped in front of the Monorail. He was relieved he didn't miss it. He had been worried that it would leave before he got there. He stepped into the transport, noting that there weren't that many Cybertronians riding it. Most didn't acknowledge him, some glanced at him then looked away when they lost interest. Orion stood at the entrance of the Monorail, unsure of what to do, before he slowly walked farther inside and climbed onto a vacant seat. His legs dangled over the edge of the seat, as he was too small to reach the floor.

The only thing he could do then was wait.

Orion coughed again, rubbing his chest at the dull pain that followed. He could tell that he was getting weaker. He assumed that it was because he hadn't rested in a while.

Orion's optics began to dim. He was _exhausted_. He hadn't recharged since the last Orbital Cycle, and even then he didn't really _rest_. His sickness had kept him from recharging well, and since then he hadn't truly had a break. He had waited for Ratchet, not consuming a single cube of Energon since even before he last powered down.

He felt very, very tired, from both a lack of rest and a lack of Energon flowing through his veins. The gentle trembling of the Monorail reminded him of when his caretaker had gently rocked him in his arms, and it was beginning to lull him into recharge. His optics closed. He tried to stay awake. He didn't have time to recharge. He needed to find the next name. He still had to know what happened.

He needed to find...

Ratchet...

* * *

Orion's systems slowly came back online as he felt the Monorail begin to slow down. He rubbed his optics with both hands, clicking quietly, a noise he hadn't made since he was a newborn. His optics slowly fluttered open, and even though his sight was blurry he looked around for...

Then he remembered that he was alone.

Orion frowned sadly. Ratchet was still gone.

His processor was working slowly as he gradually woke up. He still felt very tired. A Joor wasn't that long of a recharge, but it helped Orion greatly. His spark didn't hurt anymore.

He was only half awake by the time the Monorail slowed to a stop. The doors opened, and he waited for all of the other Cybertronians to exit first before he left himself. As soon as he stepped out of the transport, he finally saw a difference.

Kaon was dark, dirtier than Protihex or Iacon, as if no one cared about what happened to anyone who lived there. The buildings were made of the same metal as the rest of Cybertron, but some of them had rust growing in the cracks. The mechs and femmes that strolled down the roads each looked angry or tired of everything. Orion didn't judge any of them for the way they lived. He only felt slightly sad. Why were they being treated differently than ones from Iacon or Protihex? It didn't make sense.

Orion didn't let himself think about it for too long. He needed to find Ratchet. But Kaon was large, and the buildings were huge. Orion didn't know how he would ever find the Gladiatorial Pits.

He heard yelling.

Orion looked around rapidly, fully awake, trying to see if someone was hurt, and in doing so noticed that no one else seemed to pay the screams no mind. Orion was very confused for a long moment before he heard cheering, and the sounds of weapons hitting each other and firing to the sky. Orion blinked as he figured out what the sounds were from. He turned around a nearby corner, following the cheers and sounds of battle, and he found what he was looking for.

The Gladiatorial Pits.

The arena was gigantic. There was a large entrance that was full of Cybertronians. The cheers were so loud, he could barely hear the sudden yell of an injured mech. The crowd roared with applause. Orion shook his head, then looked around the area.

Beside the entrance, there was a smaller door, clearly intended for Gladiators only. Orion smiled, walking over to the smaller door. The next name was probably inside. Orion might get information about his caretaker, where he was or where he had been.

Orion knocked on the door.

He listened to see if someone was coming. After a Klik and no answer, Orion was about to knock again, but just before his hand hit, the door opened and he pulled his hand back quickly. Orion saw two pairs of legs directly in front of him.

Orion looked up at the mech that had opened the door, taking in his appearance. He was tall, and his frame was a dirty orange, almost like a flame. He looked like a Gladiator. Just like one of the names on the list. Orion tilted his head slightly. "Are you Fireblast?"

The mech's optics widened. Then, he nodded with a large smile. "I didn't think a_ sparkling _would recognize me."

Orion smiled back. "I'm hoping that you can help me."

"Are your creators fans of me?" Fireblast said with a smirk, almost completely ignoring what Orion had just told him. "Can't say I blame them."

Orion blinked, then shook his head. "I don't have creators. I came from the Well."

"Well, then you must have been trained in the Guilds to be a Gladiator, then!" Fireblast concluded. Without waiting for confirmation, he took Orion's hand and practically dragged him inside. Orion stumbled as he was pulled down a hall, passing many rooms with many Gladiators inside, and into a room, which looked like a mixture of a training room and a weapons locker. Fireblast let go of Orion, which almost sent the sparkling to the floor. Fireblast turned around and bent down in front of him.

"You look like a beginner," Fireblast said, tilting Orion's chin upwards and turning his face side to side to get a good look at him. Fireblast nodded. "Yep, definitely a newbie. Look at your clean, unscarred frame!"

Fireblast stood up and let go of Orions face, for which the sparkling was grateful. Orion rubbed his cheek as Fireblast looked at each of the weapons on the wall.

"I'll teach you what those Guilds never teach," Fireblast continued as he picked a machine gun off of a shelf. Fireblast practically dropped the gun into Orion's hands, which made the sparkling topple over from the weight. Fireblast didn't seem to notice. "Trust me, they leave a _lot _out. Mechs and femmes from all around come to me for lessons. It's not that difficult to learn if you're taught right."

Orion waited until Fireblast's attention was directed elsewhere, then he carefully placed the gun onto a nearby table. He didn't like any of the weapons in there. Why would someone make something just to hurt someone else? Orion didn't understand.

"Do you know where the mines are?" Orion asked, both trying to get information about the next name, and trying to change the subject. "I'm looking for someone who might have been seen there."

"Yeah, yeah, they're just a little ways away from the Pits," Fireblast said nonchalantly before returning to what he was saying before. "You know how strange some of these characters look? I mean, there was this tiny little femme at one point, and another time this mech couldn't aim to save his life, and there was this one black and white mech! Taught him how to shoot to kill without a problem! Learned real quick, he did. My handiwork, obviously."

Orion was too busy trying to think of where the mines were to notice anything that had been said.

"So," Fireblast said, apparently just remembering what Orion had asked him. "Who are you looking for? If it's me, you did a good job."

Orion shook his head. "I'm looking for Ratchet."

"'Ratchet'?" Fireblast said, thinking for a moment before shrugging. "I don't know a 'Ratchet'. Is he a Gladiator here? If he is, I probably beat him."

Orion shook his head again. "No, he's not. He's my caretaker. We were at the Protihex Medical Center, but then he left, and I don't know where he is."

"_Protihex?_" Fireblast laughed. "That's pretty far away. Why would he go there if he got hurt instead of getting patched up here? I'm sure some bitbrain here has experience in first aid."

"He didn't go there," Orion corrected with a smile. "He works there. He's a medic."

Fireblast stared at Orion for a long time. Slowly, the smirk dissapeared from his faceplate, replaced with a blank expression. The corners of his mouth twitched downwards. "Get out."

Orion blinked, tilting his head slightly. "I'm sorry?"

Fireblast abruptly stepped forward, nudging Orion towards the door. "Get. _Out_."

Orion almost jumped out of his reach, backing away from the suddenly furious mech. "What's wrong?"

He didn't get an answer. Fireblast just continued pushing him away. Orion was shoved out of the room, almost tripping from the force. He glanced back at Fireblast with wide and confused optics.

Fireblast's voice quieted down, though not by much. "Your kind is not _welcome here_."

With that, the door was slammed shut, leaving a small sparkling on the other side, wondering what he could have done wrong.

What did Fireblast mean by his 'kind'? Surely he didn't mean _defectives_? Orion hadn't said anything about his condition, and he couldn't think of any way the Gladiator could have known. Fireblast only seemed to get angry when he said that Ratchet was a medic...

It didn't make any sense. They were _all_ Cybertronian. Every single one of them. Why were some treated differently than others? It didn't make any _sense_.

Orion shook his head. He shouldn't dwell on it for too long. There was nothing he could do about it. He was just a small, weak, defective. He wouldn't be able to change anything alone.

Orion began walking towards the mines, which according to Fireblast weren't that far away from the Gladiatorial Pits. He just listened for the sound of drills.

Kaon was a noisy place.

It didn't take too long to find the mines. There was only one small entrance, but Orion knew that the tunnels spanned deep beneath the underground. He wondered what it looked like inside, and was tempted to explore, but he knew that he couldn't. He needed to find the next name. He needed to find his caretaker.

Orion walked up to the entrance of the mine, where only two mechs could be seen. They didn't notice him, and Orion stood there without making a sound, before he spoke up.

"Excuse me?" Orion said quietly, though loud enough to be heard by a miner holding a large drill.

The mech looked down at the sparkling with an optic ridge raised. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for someone named 'Skylight'," Orion answered, looking into the mine curiously. He quickly caught himself getting distracted, so he made himself focus on the mech in front of him. "Have you seen her anywhere?"

The miner seemed to recognize that name, and he frowned. "Is this some kind of a joke? Don't you higher classes have anything better to do than mess with us?"

The mech most likely wouldn't have said that if he was talking to a full grown adult, but there was nothing a little sparkling could do to him.

Orion blinked, then shook his head. "No, I want to ask her something. Do you know where she is?"

The miner eyed Orion suspiciously, then he rolled his optics. "She's dead. She got crushed during a mine collapse."

Orion straightened up considerably, opening his mouth to speak, before closing it when he realized that he had no idea how to respond. After a Klik, he said the only thing that came to mind. "Oh."

The miner rolled his optics again, then resumed his work, muttering about the 'clueless higher classes'.

Orion stood there silently as a weight set itself in his spark. He had no where else to turn. He had found the next name, but that name could not direct him to where he needed to go. He had no idea where to search.

He had started walking back to the transport before he had even realized he was moving. Time seemed to move very quickly. The Monorail had finished another trip around Cybertron, so it had started around again, and had arrived in Kaon. Orion stepped in through the door, and saw even fewer Cybertronians than before. He climbed onto a seat, and the Monorail started up again, leaving Orion staring forward.

No one took notice to the young sparkling, all on his own.

The ride back to Iacon took much longer than the first. His processor was bombarding him with his fears.

He would never find Ratchet.

He shouldn't have even tried.

He wouldn't have been able to help.

He was a failure.

Orion shook his head, trying to make those thoughts go away. He felt _worthless_.

His thoughts wouldn't leave him alone for the entire time he was on the Monorail.

It stopped much sooner than Orion had expected. He stepped out last, and then began walking down a nearby path.

What was he going to do?

He was lost. He was lost and alone. He didn't know how to get back to Protihex by himself. He wanted to go _home_.

Orion shivered, coughing again, much harsher than before. He was forced to take deep breaths after they stopped. His chest hurt again, but Orion believed that it was from the pain of losing his caretaker.

He didn't know what to do, and so, he walked.

He looked up at the sky. It was completely dark, no stars in sight, and the moon was hiding as well, leaving nothing to light his way. Orion shivered again from the cold as he stepped into a more unpopulated area.

As Orion walked, he saw something that seemed out of place.

There was a building, far away from the rest. The building seemed strange. It didn't look like a home. It looked more like a prison.

Yet, for some reason it felt like Orion needed to go there. He couldn't explain it. Sometimes it felt like his spark was leading him where he needed to go.

Negative feelings left behind, just for the moment, Orion made his way towards the building.

As he drew closer, he saw a large mech standing beside the doorway that lead inside. The mech's attention was quickly switched to him, and Orion suddenly felt very small.

The mech looked down at him, unimpressed. "What is your designation?"

Orion blinked, then replied. "I'm Orion Pax."

The mech seemed to recognize that name, and he frowned. He looked very intimidating, and powerful, as if he was someone of authority.

Orion looked up at him, unafraid. Orion refused to let himself get his hopes up, but he had to try. "Are you Bumper Crest?"

The mech almost seemed insulted by the question. He shook his head, and spoke with a deep and emotionless voice, turning around slightly to point towards the doorway. "He is inside."

Orion nodded his thanks, and then he began making his way inside, the mech obviously not caring about what could happen to him.

The path inside was dark, and Orion very nearly tripped on one of the three steps that led down, in a way that almost seemed like someone was trying to make it hard for anyone to get in or out. He didn't think about it for two long, as a light quickly came into view, originating from a room at the end of the hall. Orion stepped slowly and carefully forward, and stopped in the doorway.

There was a mech sitting down on a berth, not really paying attention to anything. He was large and bulky. His optics were blue, but had traces of green. He was yellow, but he was shades darker than Voltlock.

Voltlock. Orion wondered what he was doing right then. He had been really angry with Ratchet, Orion could tell, even though Voltlock had been trying to hide it. Orion saw that Ratchet looked very sad after he spoke with Voltlock, but Orion hadn't been told why. Perhaps it was because Orion had to leave him.

Orion didn't want to leave him.

Orion frowned lightly at the thought, then took a few steps into the room.

The mech heard footsteps on the metal floor, bringing him back to the present. He looked around for a moment, before his sight rested on a small sparkling standing before him. He raised an optic ridge and smirked. "How did _you _get in here?"

Orion blinked at the strange tone, but he answered. "The mech outside let me in."

The mech laughed. "The Guilds must _hate_ you."

Orion tilted his head in confusion. "Why?"

"Well, they let you in here!" The mech replied with another laugh. "That Guild Member doesn't let _anyone_ near _me!_"

Orion's head remained in that position for a while. He didn't speak for almost a Klik, then he voiced his thoughts. "Are you Bumper Crest?"

The mech's laugh died down to a chuckle, glowing optics showing his surprise. "So you know who I am. I'm guessing you know why I'm here, too."

Orion said nothing as he stepped forward, getting a better look at Bumper Crest, wondering why he hadn't made a move to stand. Orion's optics trailed along the mech's frame, and only then did he notice a chain wrapped around his leg.

As Orion tried to think of words to use, Bumper Crest followed the sparkling's gaze and laughed. "Oh, yes. A Guild member put a chain on me. Funny, huh?"

Orion said nothing for a moment, but he didn't look away. "Why?"

Bumper Crest chuckled lightly, leaning back in his chair with a shrug. "I saw this mech outside that was doing something suspicious, and decided to _investigate_. My 'bodyguard' wouldn't let me go after him, and he tied me to a post. It's actually pretty funny when you think about it."

Orion frowned. He didn't find it funny. It wasn't right. What could Bumper Crest have done to deserve that?

"Don't look so sad," Bumper Crest added, chuckle dying away. "This won't last long. They lock me up all the time."

"They lock you up...?" Orion whispered, trying to understand. "Why?"

Bumper Crest talked Orion like he hadn't had a normal conversation with anyone in the longest time. He answered all of the questions truthfully.

"They say that I'm wrong," Bumper Crest said with a smirk. He tapped on his helm with his knuckles. "They say I'm sick or something. There's no virus in me. It's just how I am."

Orion watched him inquisitively. Orion noted that Bumper Crest did not look wrong at all. He looked just _fine_. He looked _just like_ any other Cybertronian he could have seen during his entire search. He looked completely _normal_. How could he be wrong? He did not cough, or shake, or lose his breath after _nothing_.

Orion paused for a long while, then he spoke. "Why do they say you're wrong?"

The question received a raised optic ridge, but Bumper Crest's smile never completely left. The mech shrugged lightly, as if unsure of how to respond. "There was an... accident."

Orion waited patiently as Bumper Crest took a moment to compose himself, his expression becoming calm.

"I was with... a friend," He said, looking down at the chain holding him down. "I don't remember a lot. There was an accident, and I hurt my helm. My friend... I think he tried to help me, but I couldn't make sense of it, and I hit him."

Orion listened intently, watching the mech with worry. Bumper Crest waved a hand to say that he was fine, and he continued.

"I didn't stop. I kept hitting him, until he stopped moving," Bumper Crest said, clenching his fists slightly, not noticing that he did so. "I didn't even realize what I did until later, after I was sedated and dragged to a cell, and my processor snapped back in place. They labeled me unstable and locked me up here. Sure, I can go places, as long as they have a Guild member tailing me. My processor still snaps out of place sometimes and I get very... defensive, I guess."

Bumper Crest let out another chuckle, but it was weak, and clearly forced.

"I never saw my friend again," He said with a soft smile. "I don't even know if he's alive or not. The Guilds won't tell me. They seem to think I'm an aspiring murderer or something. I don't know."

Orion didn't know what to say. The mech before him just told him that he had an unstable processor, and that he might have killed someone. He should have been afraid, or at least nervous, but he wasn't. It wasn't his fault. Bumper Crest didn't mean to be the way he was, but he was still shunned for it, locked away for something he couldn't control. It may have been for his safety, and the safety of others, but it wasn't fair.

Orion walked slowly over to Bumper Crest, placing a gentle hand on the mech's leg. Orion frowned lightly, looking down at the floor. His voice was low. "I understand."

"You?" Bumper Crest chuckled again, shaking his head. "You're just a little _sparkling_. How could you think that they'd say those things about you?"

"I heard them," Orion answered calmly, as if it were just a casual conversation. Something he would just have to accept. Bumper Crest's smile faltered slightly, and he tilted his head. Orion shrugged. "They say I'm wrong, too."

Bumper Crest didn't know what to say to that. The sparkling in front of him said that he was wrong. That was probably why the Guild member let him inside in the first place. Bumper Crest frowned, looking down at the sparkling and knowing that he knew how he felt.

"You know, there's nothing _wrong_ with being _wrong_," Bumper Crest said with a shrug. "We're just different. Cybertronians just don't like things that are different."

Orion tilted his head again. "Why?"

Bumper Crest shrugged again. "I don't know. We just _do_. We even treat lower castes like scrap. We hate them and they hate us. That's just how it is. They've done it, I've done it, I highly doubt you've done it but it's only a matter of time."

A sad expression appeared on Orion's faceplate. It wasn't right, treating others in such a way. There wasn't any reason for it. Orion had many questions, but he didn't ask any of them. He only told.

"I won't do that," Orion said softly. His optics glowed deep blue. "We're all Cybertronian. We should be nice to each other. I'm not going to hurt anyone."

"You're not going to harm anyone," Bumper Crest rolled his optics. "You're part of a higher class. You'll be treated better than, say, a Gladiator."

Orion didn't reply right away. He took a small breath. "I'm not going to hurt them. I'll help them."

Helping others felt... nice.

It was something Orion decided that he would always want to do.

Something in his head clicked. His optics grew large when he remembered why he came there in the first place.

"My caretaker," Orion started, speaking rather quickly. "He's gone, and I'm looking for him. Have you seen him? His name is Ratchet!"

Bumper Crest held his hands in the air with a smirk. "Woah, slow down! You're looking for your caretaker?"

"Yes-" Orion's answer was cut off by another coughing fit. It didn't last long, and as soon as he finished, he began again. "Yes. Have you seen him?"

Bumper Crest hummed for a moment, then he spoke. "No one really walked by here. I've only seen one mech within the past few Orbital Cycles. Besides the Guild member, but I don't count him."

Orion almost jumped with joy, giggling happily. "What did he look like? Did you see which way he went?"

Bumper Crest laughed at the sparkling's excitement, then he spoke.

"This black and white mech, he's always walking by here late," Bumper Crest said with a snort. "Last Orbital Cycle I saw him dragging another mech down the road. White and orange, or maybe white and red, I don't know. He wasn't moving, and I saw and Energon trail glowing behind them. No one was outside. I saw through the doorway. I went to stop him, but apparently my 'bodyguard' only saw me going nuts. That's why I'm chained to my berth."

Orion couldn't move.

He heard every word that was said, but he couldn't grasp them. Last Orbital Cycle was when Ratchet disappeared. A mech dragging an unmoving body. Leaking Energon. Black and white.

Tanker.

No.

_No_.

Ratchet was hurt. Tanker had taken him. Tanker had hurt Ratchet.

_Ratchet._

"No!" Orion yelled, covering his faceplate with his hands.

Bumper Crest recoiled slightly from the sparkling's sudden change in emotion. He blinked with wide optics. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Orion heard, but he didn't respond.

_He_ was wrong.

He failed.

He didn't save him.

He promised he'd find Ratchet and he _failed_.

"I'm sorry," Orion whispered, which returned to a yell. "I'm so sorry!"

Orion ran out of the room, leaving a shocked Bumper Crest behind. He ran back out the entrance, ignoring the mech as he passed him, ignoring any other Cybertronian he saw, ignoring every sight and noise, he just kept running as the tug in his chest grew stonger.

After so long, he ran into an alleyway, gasping for breath.

The Cybertronians he had seen told him all they knew. He had learned so much from them, yet at the same time he learned nothing. He knew that Tanker was the one behind everything, the reason Ratchet was gone. Orion sat down on the ground, arms wrapped around himself as a coughing fit took over. His vents were barely circulating, making it harder and harder to breathe. He felt really warm, but not in the same way as before. Everything around him felt so cold. What was happening to him only made him feel worse.

Tanker was trying to make the Guilds take him away.

_They were going to take him away from Ratchet._

Orion buried his face in his hands, and his frame began to tremble. His intakes were short and shaky, and he brought his knees to his chest.

That was the first time he cried.

He began to rock himself back and forth as he sobbed, trying to find some sense of comfort, but there was none. There was _nothing_. How could he find safety in a world that only offered _misery_? He didn't know what to do. What could he do? He was _alone_.

He was alone.

He was so tired. He hadn't properly recharged since Ratchet left and never came back. Orion was lost. He didn't know where he was, or where his caretaker was. The names on the list helped him learn more about Tanker, but nothing they said gave him any clue as to where Ratchet was. The only thing he knew was that Tanker had hurt him. Tanker had hurt his caretaker.

Sobs wracked his frame. What would he do if Ratchet died? Maybe he was offline already. The thought of losing his caretaker made him cry even harder.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but it was long enough for his cries to soften into whimpers, though the tears never stopped falling. He felt so weak. His spark ached. He must have gotten sick. Ratchet said that if he left the Medical Center he would get sick. But it hurt. It hurt so much.

He felt someone lift him off of the ground, cradling him in their arms. Orion's first thought was that Tanker had found him again, and was going to take him away. Even though he was exhausted, he struggled against whoever was holding him, though weakly, not strong enough to hurt anyone. He wasn't strong enough to even move.

Orion's systems were sending alarms, but they were quickly drowned out by complete and utter silence.

* * *

Orion slowly opened his optics, and found himself laying on his back, facing the roof of a building.

Where was he? Wasn't he just outside?

Orion sat up, taking a look around. He was on a berth that was much too large for him. There was a desk with tools on it next to him. It almost felt like home, which sent a pang of pain through his chest. He distracted himself by taking a look at the rest of the room.

He appeared to be inside of a small repair station. He saw a table in the middle of the next room, covered in spare parts and broken objects that were scattered all over it. Orion tilted his head to the side. Why was he in a repair station?

"You're awake."

Orion's optics darted to where the voice had come from. He stood up and quickly jumped off of the berth. Had Tanker taken him as well?

The owner of the voice made himself known. A green mech with blue optics slowly walked into the room, trying not to cause any panic. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. My name is Chipset."

Orion became less tense, but he still watched the mech wearily. Chipset was one of the names.

So maybe he still had a chance.

In an effort to show that he wouldn't hurt the sparkling, Chipset stepped back and walked over to the table, grabbing each of the objects and parts, placing them on a nearby shelf. He gestured for Orion to take a seat as he turned and went into another room.

Orion stood where he was for a while, hearing Chipset moving something he couldn't see. He waited a Klik, then he walked over to the offered chair and sat down, still to small to reach the floor.

Chipset came back in a moment later, a cube of Energon in his hand. He came to the table, and sat down.

"Why were you all alone?" Chipset asked, placing the Energon cube in front of the sparkling. "Did you get lost?"

Orion carefully took the cube in his hands, and though he had a soft, sad expression on his faceplate, he sipped at the cube gratefully. "Mhm."

Chipset smiled lightly as Orion finished the Energon. Orion felt much better then, and it showed. He had a sufficient amount of Energon flowing through him, and he felt _good_. Orion smiled in return.

But he didn't have time to waste. He had to start his search again.

Anchor had mentioned a black and white mech. So did Fireblast, and Bumper Crest, though for the first two he didn't notice. He knew that the question he had been asking was the wrong one to ask. And so, he said something different.

"I'm looking for someone," Orion replied, holding the empty cube in his hands. He looked down at the blue liquid inside before he continued. "He's been taken, but I don't know where. Do you know anyone named Tanker?"

"Ah, Tanker," Chipset said with a fond smirk. "I remember that mech. He was so reserved, strange for someone that worked underground. I trained him in basic mechanics for a while before he left."

Reserved.

Tanker did seem reserved when Orion had first met him. He didn't get to spend a lot of time with them mech, but he could tell that much. He would have never suspected that Tanker was trying to...

"Tanker..." Orion whispered. "He hurt Ratchet."

Chipset's smile quickly left his faceplate, and his expression went blank. "Ratchet?"

"Yes," Orion nodded, looking down at the empty cube. "He's my caretaker."

Chipset said nothing for the longest time, then he slumped in his chair with a hand over his mouth. "By _Primus_."

Orion perked up as he watched Chipset's optics glow with recognition. "Do you know him?"

"Tanker mentioned him," Chipset answered, placing both hands on his lap as he frowned angrily. "He said that Ratchet had killed his bondmate after a mine collapsed on her."

Orion's optics widened. No, that couldn't be true. Ratchet would _never_ kill anyone. It had to be a _mistake_.

Chipset noticed the sparkling's shock, and quickly went to calm him down. "I heard what had really happened. She offlined from her injuries. Ratchet tried to help, but he couldn't."

Chipset sighed.

"The last thing he said to me was that he was going to avenge her," Chipset shook his head, remorseful. "I didn't understand what he meant, but I should have known."

Orion knew that Chipset didn't do anything wrong. He didn't know. There was no way he could have known. Orion watched as Chipset began glaring into space, before he spoke. "What was her name?"

Chipset snapped back to the present. "What did you say?"

"What was her name?" Orion asked again, though he felt in his spark that he already knew the answer.

Chipset paused for a moment to remember, and he did. "Her name was Skylight."

Skylight.

She was the name that died.

Orion glanced away, sadly. His caretaker was in danger, and he finally knew why he was gone. Ratchet didn't do anything wrong. It was an accident that offlined Skylight. It was a tragic accident, and Orion wished that it never happened. He felt sorry for Tanker, but he wouldn't let him hurt anyone else. Not while he still functioned.

Ratchet told Orion that he shouldn't tell anything to anyone unless it was absolutely necessary. It had finally become absolutely necessary. If Orion had any chance of saving his caretaker, he knew that he had to tell the truth. He took a deep breath, knowing what he had to do.

"It's my fault."

Chipset glanced up from his datapad, staring at the sparkling with a confused expression. "What?"

Orion frowned. "Tanker lured me into a trap, and I fell for it. I got hurt, and because of that the Guilds of Cybertron decided to take me away. If I hadn't followed Tanker, he wouldn't be able to take me away from Ratchet, and Ratchet wouldn't be hurt."

Chipset didn't say anything for a moment, then he shook his head with a sympathetic look in his optics. "Orion, what is happening to Ratchet is _not_ your fault."

"If I didn't follow Tanker, Ratchet would still be here," Orion countered.

He took another quiet breath, finally voicing his inner thoughts.

"I don't know how anyone could be angry at someone who was trying to help, and I don't know if Tanker can ever understand that there was nothing Ratchet could have done," Orion explained, looking down at the empty cube in his hands. "But, I do know that Tanker wants Ratchet dead, and I know why he waited so long to exact his revenge."

Chipset opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn't find the words.

"Tanker lost someone that he cared about, and he believes that it was Ratchet's fault," Orion continued, setting the cube down and closing his optics. "Tanker wants to make Ratchet feel the same way he did, and he used me to get to him."

Chipset quickly grew concerned. Surely the sparkling couldn't be thinking of...?

"He's in danger now," Orion said, voice quiet. "Tanker won't rest until Ratchet feels the pain of loss, and there's only one chance of Tanker letting Ratchet go."

Orion looked back up at Chipset, optics glowing with determination.

"I'm going to get him back."

Chipset stared, mouth hanging open, before he shook his head. "No. No, he could _kill you_. I'll travel to the underground and get the Guilds of Cybertron involved."

"There's no time," Orion countered. "I'm not going to let Ratchet _die_."

All of a sudden, the sparkling had revealed a strength in him that he hadn't shown before. Perhaps it was because someone he cared about was in danger. The sparkling would do anything it took to keep his family safe.

And Chipset knew that he couldn't do anything about it.

"By the Pit I must be crazy," Chipset whispered to himself before raising his arms in the air in defeat. "Alright, fine. It's clear that I can't stop you. I'll tell you what I know."

Orion's optics glowing bright, though his stern expression remained.

"I don't know where he lives. He could be anywhere," Chipset explained. He sighed. "I always met him at the Hall of Records, not far from here. He never said why he was there. I didn't ask, but now I know that I should have."

Orion nodded, taking in all of that information. He slipped off of the chair he sat on, leaving the empty cube on top. He walk over to the door, stopping just before he stepped through. He looked back to Chipset, knowing that it was probably the last time he'd ever see him, or any of the other mechs he had met. Orion's voice was not devoid of emotion, just soft with calm resignation. "Thank you."

Chipset just watched him, without a word or a nod of acknowledgement. After a moment of silence, Orion turned around, walking out of the building without another glance.

He knew what he had to do.

He began making his way to the place Chipset had mentioned. If Tanker had been there, then perhaps there was a clue at to where he was, and hopefully, where Ratchet was.

Orion looked up to the sky. It was dark, half of the sky orange with rising sunlight leading to a dim blue with twinkling stars. The lights made Orion slow his pace, the scene overwhelming him with a sense of calm. As if everything was going to be alright.

A building could been seen from far away. The building with a dome roof, large and full of anything Orion could ever what to know. Except where his caretaker was.

The Iacon Hall of Records.

Orion returned to his normal pace, arriving in front of the building very quickly. He stood straight, looking at the large entrance. Mechs and femmes smiled happily to each other, talking or reading the datapads that were stored inside. Orion knew about the Hall of Records. That was the first place he had wanted to go when he got better, but he wasn't there because he wanted to be.

He was there because he needed to be.

Orion walked inside, and he quickly noticed that the building seemed bigger on the inside. There were datapads stored on shelves, and shelves were lines up as far as he could see. Orion would have loved the sight, but he was too focused on what he had to do to care. He looked around for any sign of Tanker, or Ratchet, but he found nothing. With a frown, he walked over to a nearby stairwell.

They led to another floor, almost the same layout at the one below. No sign of them either. Orion walked up another floor, then another, but he couldn't find anything that would help him.

Finally, he arrived at the top of the building.

There was a long corridor, which led to where the most important information was stored. There were very few Cybertronians around, and they very rarely passed by him. Orion glanced around again, looking for something, anything, that would help him.

Orion began coughing.

It was much worse that time. They wracked his frame, and the pain in his chest made him collapse to his knees. No one noticed, too busy with their own lives. Orion kept coughing, until his vocalizer hurt and he went completely silent. His optics were shut tightly. He didn't want to move. It hurt to move. But he had to get up. He had to get up for Ratchet.

He slowly relaxed, forcing his optics open.

He felt cold.

But it wasn't _him_.

Orion looked to the side, and noticed something he hadn't seen before.

There was a doorway in the wall.

Every Cybertronian was walking by like they couldn't see it. It was hard to notice, yes, but surely someone should have realized it was there at one point. Yet, no one gave the strange opening a glance.

Orion felt something pulling at his spark, telling him to go inside.

It didn't seem safe. The passage was dark, and he was weak. He needed to find Ratchet, and if the passage was just a dead end, he would be wasting precious time.

But he still felt something tugging him forward.

He had to try. He knew he was weak, but he would be strong for his caretaker.

Orion stepped inside.

He was going to find Ratchet.

He promised.


	13. Chapter 12

Ratchet was startled awake by the sound of someone screaming.

It took him a moment to regain any amount of consciousness, and even longer to remember where he was. He didn't know when it was, whether Orbital or even Solar Cycles since he had been taken, though he highly doubted the latter. His thoughts were being processed much slower than they should have been, but that was to be expected from a lack of Energon.

But, he did register a scream. A scream filled with pain, and so much sorrow, as if someone had just experienced something that was killing them inside. The scream faded away, and was replaced with the sound of static filled intakes and shuddering outtakes of breath. They lasted for a while, and didn't seem to leave for the longest time.

Ratchet groaned lightly, slowly pushing himself to his knees. He reeled, almost keeling over, and began coughing harshly. By the time he stopped, small drops of Energon were leaking from his mouth. Ratchet had been hit hard enough to damage his internals, and medic or not, he was completely unable to tell how bad the injuries were. He could only tell that they needed to be repaired by hand, but without being fully aware or having any tool around that he could rely on, there was nothing that could be done to fix him.

He angrily noted that he should have gotten surgical tools installed into his arms. He would never had lost them again, and they would have been there when he needed them. Ratchet knew that it was too late to think about that, so he just huffed and let it go. He just had to try to keep himself from being damaged even worse.

He didn't even attempt to stand. The chains around his arms and legs may have been loosened, but that only meant they were heavier than before. Heavy enough to hold him down, and because he felt so weak, they seemed to carry much more weight then they actually did.

Ratchet could hear heavy footsteps coming from somewhere outside of the room. They were evenly paced, and getting louder by the Klik. Soon, Tanker walked into the chamber, looking so very tired. His optics were flickering lightly, and streaks of lubricant were visible trailing down his faceplate. Ratchet blinked, eyeing Tanker with confusion.

Had he been _crying?_

Tanker stopped in the middle of the room, just standing there without making a sound. Ratchet welcomed the silence, though he would rather hear the sound of laughter as he heard in his quarters, when stories were told.

"All the time," Tanker said suddenly, just loud enough for Ratchet to hear. He began to shake. "I see it happen _all the time_."

Ratchet didn't have the strength to reply, so he could only look at Tanker with confusion.

"I watch her die," Tanker continued, louder as anger took hold. "Every night, I watch her _die_, and it's _all your fault_."

Die? Someone had died? Ratchet tried to think of a time where anyone Tanker could have been talking about had perished. It was hard to think. He kept thinking back, his mind traveling far. Spark. Explosion. Mines. Blue.

Black and white.

Tanker just scowled. He knew it was pointless to talk to the medic. It just... He just...

It hurt.

Tanker shook his head. He felt so stupid. Talking to the one who had committed the heinous act. He turned around, and began to leave.

"... You ...Were..." Ratchet struggled to speak, pausing for a Klik to find his voice. "You were there."

Tanker stopped. turning around and watching Ratchet with an optic ridge raised, the corners of his mouth twitching downwards. "What?"

"You were there. At the medical center," Ratchet explained, growing slightly louder. "There was a mine collapse, and you were with a femme..."

Tanker's voice was soft, faceplate blank, yet his expression understanding. "You remember, don't you?"

Ratchet took a shaky breath, then nodded. "Yes."

Tanker only nodded, then let out an amused breath, as if he had been sharing tales with an old friend. He remembered. He finally _remembered_. Relief almost swept across Tanker's frame. There was someone else who knew.

"I'm sorry."

Tanker returned to the present at the almost inaudible mumble that came from the exhausted medic. Tanker stared, almost straight through him. "What?"

Ratchet never wanted to admit it. He didn't want anyone to know. It had only been known by few, none of them told by himself, and he wanted to keep it that way, but he knew that he no longer had a choice. The situation was not unusual, but it still made him feel like he failed at something else. Ratchet let out a breath as his resolve set in, and he told. "I was placed as Rooter's assistant because I wasn't ready to help anyone on my own. The Guilds of Cybertron had attempted to train me to be a medical officer, but I was unable to complete the tasks they assigned."

Tanker watched Ratchet, clearly unimpressed with what he had to say. While that didn't make Ratchet feel any better about the situation, he pressed on.

"I wasn't good enough for the High Council to keep working with me, so they ordered Rooter to mentor me," Ratchet explained, voicebox growing stronger with each word. "When the collapse occurred, I wasn't ready to help with something that serious, but the other medics couldn't keep up with all of the injuries. They allowed me to assist, and I accepted, thinking I could help, but I was wrong, and I'm _sorry_."

Tanker said nothing for a long time. Then, his faceplate shifted into a slightly amused expression.

"You think an apology will make up for everything you've done?" Tanker said with a dry laugh before anger took over. "You killed her! You killed Skylight!"

"When the mine collapsed, her processor had been crushed and her spark had been impaled."

Ratchet's words made Tanker stop in place. Tanker blinked slowly, having trouble processing what had just been said. The image that formed in his head was enough to make every single one of his systems halt.

"She offlined immediately. There was nothing I could do," Ratchet continued, looking down at the floor. "I tried to save her, Tanker. I tried to revive her, but there was _nothing I could do_."

The room went unbearably silent. Tanker was swaying on his feet slightly, a deadpan look on his faceplate. Ratchet wondered if Tanker's processor had crashed, but before he could do anything about it, Tanker spoke.

"No. There was something you could have done." Tanker's voice was almost completely monotone, static seeping in more and more with each word. His expression darkened, and he began walking up to the chained medic. "You could have died in the explosion. You could have offlined right there, and Orion's spark would have been extinguished then and there, too, and he wouldn't have to be hurt."

Tanker grabbed the end of the chains, and pulled, lifting Ratchet up into a standing position. Ratchet was left hanging from his arms, feet barely touching the floor. Tanker smirked, securing the chains before turning to leave.

"What was it like, Ratchet? What was it like to see an unborn spark resting in your dead friend's hands?" Tanker asked, and just before he stepped out of the room, he added one last thing. "Because of _you?_"

With one final sneer, Tanker left the medic alone. Alone with his thoughts. Ratchet's spark was filled with dread.

He was going to die.

He was going to die, and it scared him.

Not because he was going to be offlined, but because if he did die he would be leaving Orion behind, within Tanker's grasp, while no one would know what the miner had done, and what the miner could do to his charge. Tanker could kill Orion, and Ratchet would be helpless to stop him, helpless to _save_ him. There would be nothing he could do, and that was what scared him.

He remembered. He _remembered_. But he was not remembering what Tanker had wanted him to. He remembered Orion, his sparkling. He remembered all of the good moments, where nothing bad was happening, and he was actually _happy_. He could feel himself getting lost in his memories. If even for a moment, Ratchet would allow himself to fade away in them. It hurt less than how he felt inside.

When his little sparkling was found after getting lost.

_Ratchet stood, the sparkling still held against him. Orion began shaking involuntarily, a whine escaping his throat, head buried into Ratchet's chest. As Ratchet walked, he caressed Orion's back, trying to calm him down. He found himself whispering soothing words to the sparkling, that everything was alright._

When Orion survived.

_Orion smiled weakly at his caretaker, relieved that he was there._

Ratchet's processor traveled deeper into the past, when his sparkling was still young and innocent, before the world began to hurt him.

The first time he saw him.

_The Guild member shifted the position of their arms slightly, and slowly revealed the small, delicate form of a newborn sparkling._

When Orion took his first steps.

_Orion stumbled slightly, and Ratchet moved forward to catch him, but Orion quickly steadied himself. Orion took another step, then he finally reached Ratchet's leg, practically hugging it as he smiled up at his caretaker. Ratchet watched Orion for a moment, then a small smile appeared on his faceplate as well._

The sparkling even showed how much he cared without words.

_Orion said something that sounded like complete gibberish, hands raised up towards Ratchet's arms. Ratchet knelt down, picking the sparkling up before he stood again. Orion shifted into a comfortable position as he was cradled in his caretaker's arms, cooing as he cuddled into Ratchet's chest._

And the first time he had said his name, Ratchet had at first thought Orion was shivering.

_"Rrrr-"_

He could hear the voice so clearly. It was almost as if Orion was right there with him.

_"Ratchet."_

_"Ratc_het!"

"Ratchet!"

Ratchet's head snapped up at the sound of his name, the rush momentarily making the room around him seem like it was spinning. He closed his optics until the dizziness subsided, then reopened them to look around, optics resting on a familiar figure.

Ratchet stared at who was in front of him, not completely believing that he was really there. "Orion?"

Orion ran up to Ratchet, hugging his caretaker's leg in utter relief. Ratchet was _alright_. The sparkling inside of him was trying to break through, but Orion knew that he couldn't let himself get too upset. Not while Ratchet was in danger. He had to stay strong to make sure his caretaker would be safe.

Ratchet sputtered, unsure of what he could say. It took almost a full Klik before he could form a sentence. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"I came to find you, Ratchet," Orion answered, looking up with a smile. "I missed you."

Ratchet found that his voice left him again. He felt so conflicted. Orion was safe. Orion was alright. His little sparkling was _alive_. Ratchet let out a shuddering breath. He had been so worried that Orion had been taken. Orion didn't look as if he had been harmed, only as if he had exhausted himself. Ratchet wished that he could _hold_ him, but his arms were chained and kept him from giving his sparkling any kind of comfort.

But as long as Orion stayed there, he wasn't _safe_.

"Orion?" Ratchet whispered, trying not to alert Tanker of the sparkling's presence. Said sparkling tilted his head. "Orion, please, you need to get out of here."

The smile slowly faded from Orion's faceplate. "What?"

"Tanker will be back, and if he sees you, he will..." Ratchet couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence, though he wasn't sure for whom.

Orion shook his head. "No. I'm not leaving you."

Ratchet watched his sparkling sadly. "Orion, _please_."

"No, Ratchet!" Orion protested, trying not to yell. "I've been trying to find you! I'm not going to abandon you!"

Ratchet quickly tried to shush Orion, whose breathing was beginning to become labored as emotion was taking over. Ratchet would give anything just to tell Orion that everything was alright, but he couldn't lie. Orion needed to get out of there.

He heard footsteps.

Ratchet took a sharp breath, then hissed. "_Run_."

Orion slowly pulled his hands back, watching Ratchet with worry. If he ran, he would be leaving his caretaker's side. He would be leaving Ratchet and he would be all alone again. Ratchet would be hurt. He didn't want Ratchet to hurt.

He didn't want to be _alone_.

Orion hurried behind Ratchet's leg, hiding behind him. Ratchet stiffened in shock, and would have told Orion again to run if he Tanker hadn't walked in.

"Are you awake?" Tanker asked. The lubricant was dried upon his faceplate, not having been wiped away. After getting a good look at Ratchet, he chuckled. "Good, good. There's still something we need to discuss."

Tanker strolled casually up to Ratchet, standing a few steps away. Ratchet moved his leg slightly to obstruct Tanker's view, just so he wouldn't see Orion. Tanker let out an exasperated breath, as if he was finally going to voice a thought he had kept inside for too long.

"Your sparkling, Orion? He's the reason I took you," Tanker admitted with a shrug as if he was having a normal conversation. "He'll look for you. That's just what happens. He'll look for you, just like I looked for Sky."

Ratchet was only half listening to what had been said. He was too busy trying to make sure that Orion wasn't seen. It was only a Klik later that Ratchet realized what Tanker had told him. Tanker knew that Orion was going to look for him?

"I left out a trap," Tanker said with a cruel smirk. "I'm sure he'll find it. It looks like a glitch, but it isn't. It's the truth."

Tanker moved slightly to the left, and Ratchet moved his leg accordingly to stop Tanker from seeing the sparkling behind him.

"If he doesn't know, his spark will lead him where he needs to go," Tanker continued with a pleased look in his optics, as if he was _proud_. "My spark led me to Sky, but it stopped leading me once she was... offlined. Like it didn't want me to make everything right. I cared about her, so my spark led me to her, but it won't lead me to get her revenge."

Tanker moved again, to the right, and Ratchet moved his leg again, but Tanker noticed. Tanker watched the medic strangely before staring behind him. A grin quickly formed on his faceplate.

"Well, then," Tanker whispered, voice growing louder with what he said next. "What do we have _here?!_"

Tanker reached forward rapidly and grabbed Orion by the neck, holding him into the air. Orion tried to gasp, but he couldn't, instead beginning to choke. His main ventilation systems were being covered, and they were already beginning to overheat. He tried to pull Tanker's hand away, but it was futile, the young sparkling too weak to escape.

Ratchet thrashed against the chains holding him back. "No!"

Tanker's grip loosened for a brief moment and his smile faltered, before returning at full force. "'No'?"

"Please, just..." Ratchet said, vocalizer weak, but his voice was clearly full of worry, and fear. "Don't hurt him. Please."

Tanker watched Ratchet with an optic ridge raised, glancing back to Orion, whose grip on the mech's arm was beginning to slip. Tanker seemed to debate internally about something before he frowned lightly, reluctantly loosening his grip, enough to keep a hold on Orion while still giving the sparkling a chance to gasp harshly, trying to ventilate his systems. After a moment, Tanker's smirk returned.

"Do you know how _easy_ it was to lead you here?" Tanker chuckled darkly at Orion, who tried to shift away as far as he could within the mech's grasp. "Those files I downloaded onto the datapad were supposed to make Ratchet remember how he murdered Skylight, but I had to think ahead. I'll admit, I didn't believe that you'd get away, but I knew I needed a backup plan."

Ratchet stared at Tanker in shock, rage starting to boil inside of him. How _dare_ Tanker do that to Orion. Tricking the sparkling into coming into danger, Ratchet ground his teethplates together in anger. He would deal with Tanker harming him, but not _Orion_. Ratchet would _never_ let Orion get hurt like that.

But he had already failed that, hadn't he?

"Anchor's rounds were from Protihex to Kaon. He was doing his job one day, and he got lost in Iacon. I directed him into a Rust Storm, knowing that he knew what I looked like, and that he'd be able to show you part of the way," Tanker explained, speaking as if he was reciting a fond memory. "I tricked Fireblast into thinking I was a Gladiator in training, and he taught me how to shoot with extreme precision. Useful to kill the Medical Center's Energon sorter."

Ratchet stared in alarm, for both Orion and what he had just been told. Before Tanker had captured him, he had seen a form leaning against the refueling station wall. Had that been the sorter? Considering Tanker's proud claim, Ratchet could only assume that it was. Tanker continued, static trailing the edge of his voice.

"Bumper Crest. Now what happened to him wasn't my fault, but he was getting suspicious of me. He had seen me many times, and would no doubt share that fact with whoever asked," Tanker grinned. "And Chipset. I learned how to disable spark monitors from him."

Disable spark monitors.

That was why...

"Orion could have _died_," Ratchet growled his thoughts out loud. His spark began to ache at the memory of his charge's lifeless frame. He had almost lost him. He had almost lost his charge. The memory still hurt. It hurt _so much_.

"Well, it was either then or now, and apparently it's now," Tanker replied. "I didn't think you'd take it too hard. I had to access your most recent Medical File. Your firewalls were difficult, but not too hard to break through. Your updated file said that you didn't work well with others."

Ratchet frowned. Tanker shouldn't have known so much. How could he have gotten so much information?

The datapad. The names. The firewall. The Medical Files.

Everything.

Tanker had already known.

Tanker's arm suddenly shifted, forming into a gun. The gun that spilt so much Energon. The sorter. All of the Cybertronians that perished in the refueling station. Oiltrack. Rooter.

"You didn't think I was _stupid_, did you?" Tanker said with a crazed laugh, flailing the weapon into the air. "I've had millions of Solar Cycles to plan this out!"

With that, the gun whirred furiously, and was placed against the side of Orion's helm. Ratchet wanted to lash out, to get Orion away from the insane mech, to just grab him and run and hide and just get his sparkling somewhere he would be _safe_. But he was frozen. He couldn't move, no matter how badly he wished he could.

"I'm going to kill him, Ratchet," Tanker laughed sadistically. His grip on Orion's neck tightened, making his vents unable to circulate. "I'm going to kill him right now, where you can watch as he dies knowing that this was all your fault!"

The gun whirred to life, glowing as it prepared to fire.

Ratchet yelled.

The gun suddenly quieted down.

Tanker smirked.

"Actually," Tanker whispered, just loud enough to be heard. "I have a better idea."

He moved the gun away from Orion's helm, but before Ratchet could feel relieved, the weapon was swiftly pointed towards him.

"I'll let him watch as I kill _you_," Tanker spoke slowly, chuckling lightly as he trailed a finger along Orion's cheek. "This little sparkling is going to watch his caretaker get torn apart, and as soon as I'm done with you, Ratchet, after he sees your offline frame, the light in your optics fading away as you choke on your own Energon, I'm going to kill him, too. And he'll die knowing that you failed to save him."

"Ratchet!" Orion screamed, trying to reach out to his caretaker and _help him_.

Tanker's weapon was suddenly kicked upwards, blasting into the roof. Before Tanker could even realize what had happened, a blur of yellow flew right in front of him as something punched him directly in the faceplate, knocking him back and making him release the grip he had on the sparkling, sending Orion to his knees on the floor, gasping.

Ratchet squinted into the darkness, his optics failing him. A mech had run into the room, and had begun attacking Tanker with everything he had. The mech looked familiar. Ratchet knew that he had seen the mech before, but his mind was barely processing anything, it was taking him so long so realize who was there.

Voltlock?

Tanker regained his senses, blocking Voltlock's next punch. Voltlock continued pressing forward, proceeding to kick Tanker in the leg and knocking him down. Tanker grunted as he hit the floor, then he pointed his gun blindly and fired. He missed, but the blast did make Voltlock freeze and give Tanker enough time to jump back up and roundhouse kick Voltlock against the floor.

Voltlock stood up, using a wall for support, before he felt metal being pressed against the side of his helm. He looked out of the corner of his optic, and saw the barrel of Tanker's gun.

"You may have been able to restrain me in the Medical Center," Tanker cackled. "But now I have nothing left to _lose_."

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if I did _this_," Voltlock countered before spinning around and slamming Tanker's faceplate into the wall.

Orion slowly stood up while the two mechs were occupied, running over to where Ratchet was chained, though he was still having trouble breathing. Ratchet shook his head. "No, Orion, _please_. Just _run_."

Orion merely shook his head as he jumped up, grabbing one of the chains holding Ratchet hostage and pulling on it, trying to loosen the restraints. Ratchet could feel the chains on his right arm weaken slightly, but he could tell by how much. Orion watched Ratchet with soft optics. "I'm going to get you out of here. I promise."

And it was a promise he _had_ to keep.

One loud slam made both Orion and Ratchet stare at the battle happening in front of them.

Tanker growled, and he threw his leg back to kick. Voltlock dodged, but realized too late that the move had been a distraction. Tanker thrust the edge of the weapon down against Voltlock's helm, knocking him to the ground and leaving him motionless, optics closed.

"Voltlock?" Orion whispered worriedly, accidentally attracting Tanker's attention to him. The miner ran in front of Ratchet, grabbing Orion by the throat again and lifting him into the air.

Tanker pointed the gun at Orion's head once again, looking towards Ratchet with a crazed grin. "Tell your sparkling goodbye."

Ratchet used all of his strength to break his right arm free from the chains, shattering them as his fist flew forward and smacked Tanker directly in the neck. Tanker choked, the force of the punch making him throw Orion to the side, sending him flying into a nearby wall. Orion went limp as he fell to the floor, and began coughing, his systems sending warnings all through his frame.

Ratchet stared at Orion, tempted to run over to him and see if he was alright, but he had no time. Tanker threw a punch at him, which he barely dodged. Ratchet hit Tanker in the chest, sending the miner staggering back a few steps. Ratchet quickly used his free arm to break the rest of the chains holding him back. Tanker didn't even have time to recover before Ratchet hit him again.

Tanker growled ferociously, raising his gun and pointing it towards Ratchet. He fired, and it was only sheer luck that it managed to miss it's target. Ratchet's optics widened. Tanker was a _very_ good shot.

Tanker fired again, and Ratchet gasped in pain as it hit his right arm. Ratchet placed his other hand over the wound, feeling Energon slip through his fingers. He tried to move his arm, but it caused too much pain, practically rendering the limb useless. Ratchet didn't have time to react before Tanker kicked him in the chest, very hard. Ratchet fell down onto the floor. Everything hurt. His systems were telling him he needed to shut down. If he shut down, he might fall into stasis lock. It he tried to stay conscious, he might never wake up again.

Ratchet look to the side, where Orion was still.

He had something to protect.

He felt so weak, but he made himself rise to his knees.

Ratchet coughed up Energon, which leaked onto the floor with a weak glow. He tried to stand, but he wasn't able to, both because he didn't have the strength to do so, and because Tanker walked up behind him and placed the gun against the back of his helm.

"I gave you a chance to say goodbye," Tanker said, venom lacing his static filled voice. "I never got that chance."

The gun buzzed, ready to fire. Were it still Solar Cycles before, Ratchet would have let it happen. But he had someone to protect. Ratchet spun around and grabbed Tanker's gun just as it was about to shoot, rapidly turning it around to face the miner's chest.

The weapon fired.

Tanker did nothing. He didn't seem to even react to being shot. Ratchet stood up, backing away from the miner who soon fell backwards onto the floor.

Tanker didn't move, he just stared up at the ceiling.

He was so tired. He didn't want to fight anymore.

As Tanker laid there in a pool of his own Energon, his vision began to disappear into white, and a soft voice that meant dearly to him could be heard.

_Come home with me, darling._

For the first time in what seemed like forever to him, a sincere and true smile appeared on Tanker's faceplate, Energon dripping furiously from his mouth, the same with lubricant from his optics.With his last ounce of strength, Tanker reached towards the light, knowing it was safe, that he would find his bonded there, and he would finally be happy again. The color of his frame slowly drained away, spark ceiling it's glow, but the smile remained even after the light left his optics.

Even after he had one, Ratchet couldn't feel victorious. He felt strangely empty. He looked to the end of the chamber, where Orion lay, unmoving besides the shaking of his frame. Orion was alive.

Ratchet felt so relieved. He tried to walk towards his charge, but he fell to his knees before he could take a single step. His spark felt so weak, as if it was flickering, trying so hard to stay ignited and failing. But Orion was alive. Orion was alive. Tanker couldn't hurt him anymore. Being with Ratchet wouldn't hurt him anymore.

Ratchet fell to the floor, rolling onto his back as he blinked, optics slowly closing.

It was alright...

If he...

Did die...

Because Orion...

Was...

Alive.

On the other side of the room, Voltlock stirred with a groan. He slowly pushed himself up, hand on his helm at the feeling of a dull, throbbing pain. He blinked, optics blurily looking around the room as his processor caught up with what was going on.

Orion was curled up in a ball on the floor, gasping for a breath that he just couldn't catch. His illness, his defects, they were hitting him at full force. He felt a sudden pressure on his spark. The pressure grew until it began to hurt. Then, the pain left. Orion shuddered, feeling a sense of loss.

Orion shivered as he slowly sat up, the feeling of loss spreading throughout his entire frame. He opened his optics, glancing around the room in concern. His caretaker, where was he? Was he alright? Orion looked around frantically, before his optics settled on a body laying in the middle of the room.

Tanker.

Orion's breathing hitched and he crawled back before he came into contact with the wall. Tanker wasn't moving. He wasn't trying to hurt him anymore. Orion wanted to feel angry with the mech that had tried to take him away, but he couldn't bring himself to. Tanker felt exactly how Orion didn't want anyone to feel. Tanker was hurt and alone. He was hurt and alone, and he wanted to make Ratchet feel that way.

Orion's concern quickly returned and he looked around again, for any sign of his caretaker. Something past Tanker caught Orion's sight, and it made him freeze in alarm.

"Ratchet!" Orion yelled, scampering to his feet and running to his caretaker's side. He knelt down in the medic's Energon, but he didn't care.

It was already cold.

"Ratchet..." Orion whispered, placing a hand on the medic's arm in an attempt to rouse him. Ratchet didn't respond.

Orion watched his caretaker's faceplate, waiting for some kind of sign to show that he was alright, that he would wake up. He needed Ratchet to wake up.

_Wake up!_

"No..." Orion slowly shaking his head. He couldn't believe it. He _couldn't_. Orion gently pushed Ratchet's shoulder again, but there was still nothing. His voice wavered. "_No!_"

Maybe his spark was sick. Maybe, maybe he just needed to give it a cure. Yes. Orion let out a breath, looking to Ratchet's chest. He couldn't see anything wrong. If anything was wrong, what could he do? He didn't have a cure. He couldn't cure his caretaker's spark.

"You can't leave me, Ratchet!" Orion pleaded, giving his caretaker's arm one last shake before giving up on that entirely. "Ratchet, please, I love you!"

Orion choked out a sob, placing his hand where his caretaker's lay motionless. Lubricant began trailing down his faceplate, falling silently onto the floor.

"I love you!" He cried, burying his head into Ratchet's side. "Please! Don't leave me again!"

Orion completely broke down. He just couldn't be brave any longer. His caretaker was hurt. Ratchet was _hurt_. The only thing Orion wanted was for Ratchet to never be hurt again, and he had _failed_. The one he cared about, the only one who had ever truly cared about him, was _gone_. Orion was alone, and it _hurt_.

Voltlock stood slowly, trying not to make a sound. One he stood, he began walking towards the sparkling, putting all of his weight on his uninjured leg. He stopped a few steps away, taking in the sight before him with an expression of grief. The last thing he said to Ratchet was horrible and untrue, and he would never be able to say he was _sorry_. Sorry for doubting him, sorry for hating him, sorry for trying to take away the one thing that he cared about. Voltlock shook his head in self loathing.

But it wasn't about him.

"Orion?" Voltlock said quietly, holding out a hand. "Come here, kid."

"_No_," Orion's voice was muffled against his caretaker's frame.

Voltlock was about to say something else when he heard voices and loud footsteps coming from outside of the chamber. They grew louder and louder, until Voltlock thought they might around the corner. All of a sudden, a group of mechs and femmes hurried into the room. They held weapons in their hands, pointing them at every being in the room.

Members of the Guilds of Cybertron?

Weapons were pointed at Voltlock, until their holders deduced that he was not a threat. The weapons were let down, but were not deactivated, as the Guild members moved around the chamber.

Voltlock quickly grabbed Orion, holding him against his chest as he moved out of the Guild members' way. Orion struggled, clearly trying to get back to Ratchet in his grief. Once away from the crowd, Voltlock set Orion on the ground. Voltock knelt down, carefully placing his hands on the distraught sparkling's shoulders. "Orion, you need to calm down."

Orion covered his optics with his hands in an attempt to stop them from leaking, but he only managed to quiet his sobs.

Voltlock's spark pained at the sparkling's misery, but he forced himself to harden his spark and he continued. "Orion, I'm going to try and help Ratchet, but I need you to help me. Right now, Ratchet needs you. Can you be brave for him?"

Orion's cries died down slowly, as he turned back to face Ratchet, where the members of the Guilds were looking over him, scanning him with devices so ancient that they looked foreign. They began hoisting the medic up, preparing to take him out of the room. Orion glanced down at the ground, before looking back up at Voltlock.

"Yes."


	14. Chapter 13

His chest felt heavy.

That was the first thing Ratchet noticed as his systems slowly returned online. He felt a weight in his chest, and it was strange, because he couldn't find a reason for it to be there. Perhaps if he had been through a surgery, or possibly something that had caused him great distress, but he could couldn't remember either of those situations occurring, and so he was unable to find a reason to feel upset. He remained strangely at ease, and he hadn't felt that way in a long time.

Nothing hurt.

With that in mind, Ratchet's optics slowly flickered open, though not fully, as he didn't seem to have the energy to fully regain consciousness. He saw a familiar looking ceiling, like the one in his quarters, which meant that he was laying down on a berth. But it was different. Ratchet looked around, and he saw a monitor beeping lazily beside him. The lines matched the pulsing of the spark in his chest. Ratchet frowned. Why was he hooked up to a spark monitor? He looked down at himself, and blinked.

Life supports cables. There were life support cables attached to his chassis. Ratchet wasn't shocked. He was more confused than anything. What had happened to him? It had to have been something very bad for him to require such extensive medical attention. His internals were not at peak condition, but he by no means needed help sustaining himself. That meant he had been there for a long time.

Ratchet made a move to sit up, be he decided against it after his limbs refused to move. His internals felt sluggish, as if they hadn't been used in a while. Ratchet frowned. How long had he been in stasis?

"Over ten Orbital Cycles."

Ratchet quickly turned his head to where the voice had come from, and immediately regretted it. He slowly placed a hand against his throbbing helm, optics shut tight as he let out a groan. He waited a moment before the pain dulled before he opened his optics, just enough to see who was standing in open doorway.

Voltlock watched his fellow medic with a calm expression, if not a bit relieved. Ratchet noted that Voltlock was covered in minor scratches and dents. Nothing serious, but it was strange. Ratchet was going to ask about Voltlock's condition before the words that were spoken before sunk into his processor.

He had been in stasis for four Orbital Cycles.

Ratchet let out a thoughtful breath. "That long?"

Voltlock gave a small nod of affirmation. Voltlock didn't say anything for a moment, looking over Ratchet with a tired smirk. "You look like scrap."

"So do you," Ratchet countered with a snort.

"At least you have an excuse," Voltlock replied, looking over his own frame. "Someone already tried to buff me. I told them I didn't want you to feel like you were the only one who got wrecked, so I refused."

"Voltlock," Ratchet rolled his optics, annoyance laced within his voice. "That is _completely_ unnecessary."

"Hey, there's the Ratchet I know! Orion sure tamed you, didn't he?" Voltlock said with a chuckle that remained in his voice as he spoke. "Not even a snarky comment since you started treating him like your own."

At those words, Ratchet bolted into a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain he felt by doing so. He remembered everything. He remembered Tanker, the chains, the fight, and he remembered his sparkling. His little sparkling had been hurt.

Voltlock watched Ratchet in shock, moving to help his fellow medic before Ratchet spoke. "Where is he?"

Voltlock stalled, his processor freezing up for a moment. "Uh..."

"Orion. Where is _Orion?_" Ratchet demanded, very close to panicking. His breathing quickened. "Is he alright? Where _is_ he?!"

"Ratchet," Voltlock said quietly, trying to calm said mech down. "Ratchet, listen to me. He's okay. Orion is just fine. He's resting in your quarters right now."

The tension throughout Ratchet's frame slowly began to drain away, and he laid back down on the berth with pure relief written on his faceplate. Ratchet closed his optics, and didn't speak for a Klik, then he spoke with an exhausted voice. "How long was I...?"

"You've been gone for almost two Orbital Cycles," Voltlock answered. "You've been in stasis for nearly an Orn."

Ratchet groaned. He had been unconscious for that long? Orion must have been worried about him. Ratchet felt terrible for putting his charge through all of that, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do to change what happened, which made him feel even worse.

Voltlock frowned lightly, then he walked up to Ratchet, and began carefully unhooking the life support cables from his fellow medic's frame. "These could have been removed a few Orbital Cycles ago, but we decided to wait until you woke up, just incase your condition worsened."

As Voltlock finished removing the last of the cables, Ratchet opened his optics and watched him inquisitively, a look he had subconsciously learned from the sparkling he looked after. "How did you find us?"

Voltlock chuckled again. "Believe me, it wasn't easy to do. Cybertron's a big place."

The look Ratchet gave Voltlock quickly informed him that his fellow medic wasn't in the mood for games. He almost lost his sparkling _again_. He just wanted to know what had stopped that from happening. Voltlock gave a nod of understanding before he spoke.

"I entered your quarters to check on Orion, but he was gone. Before I could look for him, I was told that the hacker had accessed a file, so I used your datapad to see what it was," Voltlock explained. "The hacker was looking for your medical file. That's when I finally realized something was wrong."

Ratchet said nothing, only listening intently.

"It's not really hard to notice a sparkling wandering the streets. That rusted mech you always seem to treat said that Orion went outside," Voltlock went on. "I asked around, and a mech said that he saw Orion walk towards Iacon, and from there another one said that he got onto the monorail. The no one was actually eager to help find a lost sparkling."

Ratchet could clearly hear a small amount of venom in Voltlock's tone at that last sentence, but Ratchet wasn't going to ask about it, as it disappeared soon after and Voltlock's voice returned at a calmer level.

"Apparently Orion went to the Gladiatorial Pits, but when I asked if they had seen him some orange mech slammed the door in my faceplate," Voltlock continued with a shrug. "This miner said that Orion asked about a femme named Skylight, then got back on the monorail, so I went in a circle all the way back to Iacon."

At Skylight's name, Ratchet tensed up, but only slightly, as moving still caused him discomfort. Orion had been asking about Skylight. Ratchet wondered why he would ever do that. Had Orion somehow known about what had happened? That seemed impossible. Then again, everything Orion ever did was based on the impossible. Walking, talking...

Living...

Ratchet realized he was getting distracted, and quickly returned his focus to Voltlock.

"I asked around again, and he was seen going into a more abandoned part of Iacon, and some mech standing in front of a building said that Orion ran off," Voltlock frowned. "Then, I got lost. I had no leads at all. I asked, but no one saw anything. I'm embarrassed to admit that I was planning on returning to Protihex and seeing if he came back on his own, but I asked one last time, and he was seen going into the Hall of Records."

It came as no surprise that Orion would go there. Ratchet almost smirked, but it swiftly vanished. Orion's first trip to the place he had always wanted to go had been when he was lost and alone.

"...That's where you were," Voltlock finished, pausing for a moment to let out an exasperated breath. "Some abandoned part of the building or something. No one even knew it was _there_. Almost soundproof too, the clever glitch."

Ratchet never would have guessed that he was in the Hall of Records. The room he had been held in gave no sign as to where he was. Ratchet had thought that he might have been in Kaon, as the room looked filthy and uncared for, but he had to admit that it was somewhere no one would have ever suspected. The monumental archives in the high state of Iacon. Where a medic and a sparkling were almost offlined.

"I should have realized sooner," Voltlock said distastefully. "I _met_ him before, _slaggit_. He was injured during the mine collapse. I didn't know his name, but _still_."

Ratchet didn't respond. He already knew that Tanker had been in the Medical Center before. He hadn't known about Voltlock speaking with Tanker, but he doubted that it changed anything in the end.

Ratchet merely hummed, unable to think of anything that could be said. There was nothing _to_ be said. He and Orion were safe. His sparkling was safe.

Voltlock, on the other hand, felt that there was indeed something to be said. He averted his optics for a Klik before strengthening his resolve and speaking. "I need to apologize."

Ratchet blinked, once again pulled from his thoughts. He looked back to Voltlock again, a look in his optics asking his fellow medic to explain.

"For... everything. For saying those things to you," Voltlock let out an audible breath. "And for trying to remove Orion from your custody."

Ratchet stared at Voltlock for a long while, not exactly sure what to do with the words he just heard. Then, Ratchet waved a hand, as if to dismiss the matter entirely. "You did what you thought was right."

Ratchet ended it there, and Voltlock made no move to continue.

Ratchet was not angry. Voltlock could tell. At least, Ratchet wasn't angry with _him_. Voltlock wondered what Ratchet thought about the mech that took him. Ratchet might have been furious with him. Were he still functional, Ratchet might have tried taking him down all over again for harming Orion. But Voltlock could only speculate. He had no way of knowing what Ratchet would actually do if that situation were to have occurred. If he ever did want to know, he would ask.

But not right then. Perhaps never.

The sound of the door opening returned Voltlock to the reality, and as he looked towards the entranceway, a small smile grew on his faceplate. He turned to Ratchet, who looked as if he might conk out at any moment. Voltlock kept his voice quiet, but loud enough to be heard. "Hey, Ratch?"

Ratchet mumbled something unintelligible and lightly shook his helm to rouse himself before looking over to Voltlock with a tired and unimpressed expression. That expression quickly switched to one of surprise when he looked next to his fellow medic, and saw who had entered the room, and who watching him with bright blue optics glowing anxiously.

"Hello," Orion said calmly, as if he had only been away for a moment.

It took almost everything Ratchet had to keep himself from bolting off of the medical berth and grabbing Orion to look him over, then holding him close to assure himself that his sparkling was actually alright. But Ratchet could only say the first thing he thought of, with the same calm Orion possessed. "Hello."

Orion stood in the doorway for a moment, before he walked over to Ratchet's side, looking over his caretaker with concern. Then, he reached up towards Ratchet's arms, wanting something he hadn't received in a long time. Ratchet understood what Orion was asking, and he slowly leaned over and picked up his sparkling before leaning back on the medical berth with Orion held against him.

Voltlock decided that it was time for him to make his exit. With a final nod towards his fellow medic, though it was left unnoticed, Voltlock turned and walked out of the door, and it closed, leaving Ratchet and Orion with only each other.

No words were exchanged for the longest time, both wrapped up in the fact that they were finally together again. It was Orion who first stirred, locking optics with his caretaker. Ratchet didn't know what he thought would come out of the sparkling's vocalizer at that point, but he most certainly did not expect what did. Orion spoke in the most casual way Ratchet had ever heard. "Can we stay inside?"

Ratchet let out a chuckle. An honest one, not faked in the slightest. A content smile on his faceplate, Ratchet nodded, and Orion returned the smile for a Klik before it faded. Seeing that, so did Ratchet's. Orion began to softly trace a large dent that trailed across his caretaker's beaten chassis, from the side of his chest and across it up to just under his neck cables.

"I'm not mad," Orion said quietly. Ratchet watched the sparkling questioningly, and Orion continued, averting his optics. "I'm not mad at Tanker."

Mentioning that mech's name seemed to make the room feel colder, but that could have easily been Ratchet's damaged frame sending him false readings. He didn't know what to say. Ratchet was unsure of what he should think about what he had just been told. Orion was not angry with someone who had wronged the both of them. It was something Ratchet could not understand. Ratchet said nothing, just waiting for Orion to continue, possibly because he hoped that the sparkling's explanation would tell him _why_.

"Someone he cared about got hurt, and that made him hurt," Orion elaborated, resting his helm on Ratchet's chest. "I don't like what he did, and I wish it never happened, but I'm not mad. I know how he felt. I almost lost you, too."

Ratchet remained silent. He took in his sparkling's words, and they did tell him why. While he knew before, being reminded why Tanker had done what he did helped Ratchet figure out how he felt about everything that had happened.

Tanker had taken Ratchet, and he hurt him in every way he knew. Tanker tried to kill Ratchet to get revenge. Tanker was trying to get revenge for the one he felt was truly wronged. Through Tanker's optics, Skylight was murdered by Ratchet. The medic had hurt the one he cared about. If he had time, Ratchet could find it in him to forgive Tanker for what he had done to him.

But Tanker had tried to take Orion. Orion had done nothing wrong. Orion had not harmed a _single being _during his entire existence. He was innocent. A young, innocent sparkling who was forced to go through so much because of who cared for him.

Ratchet couldn't forgive Tanker for hurting Orion.

Tanker had tried to hurt and _kill Orion_ to get revenge on the medic that he felt had done the same to Skylight. Tanker felt that Ratchet had taken Skylight from him. Skylight meant everything to Tanker, and so Tanker tried to take away who meant everything to Ratchet. To make him remember that one lost had caused so many more to be hurt.

Ratchet was most certainly angry with Tanker, but he could understand.

Orion clung to Ratchet, as if the moment he let go his caretaker would disappear. "I thought you _died_."

Those words struck Ratchet right in the spark, and the weight quickly returned. Ratchet held Orion closer, trying to console him. Before he could say anything, Orion continued.

"You were bleeding, and you weren't moving, and," Orion had to stop himself to take a deep breath. "And you were so _hurt_. It was the last thing..."

Orion trailed off into a coughing fit, much lighter than the ones he would normally have. That did not make Ratchet feel any better about it, though. He couldn't stop the sparkling from ending up in a state like that. He could only hold him. There was nothing else he could do.

"The last thing I wanted," Orion continued after catching his breath. He latched onto Ratchet, burying his faceplate into his caretaker's chest. "I'm _so sorry_ you got hurt."

"It was _not _your fault," Ratchet said, and he really didn't intend to sound as harsh as he did, but he needed to make certain Orion knew that what had happened to the both of them was _not his fault_. "You did absolutely _nothing_ wrong. Tanker did not do any of this because of you. He did _not_ take me away because of _you_."

Ratchet hadn't known if Orion even thought that it was his fault his caretaker disappeared, but the sparkling's reaction to those words quickly proved Ratchet's suspicions correct. Orion flinched back slightly, hesitant if he should continue holding onto the only one who made him feel _safe_, and Ratchet immediately wanted to retract his words, just to say them in a different way.

Orion whimpered. "You never came back."

"I know, I know," Ratchet said calmly, caressing Orion's back. "It's okay, I'm alright. I'm sorry."

They stayed like that for a long time, just content with each others company. The caretaker and his sparkling, not saying anything, but just being _with_ each other.

They both needed that.

Ratchet didn't know how long they stayed like that. Orion had shivered in his caretaker's arms until he had fallen into recharge to the sound of Ratchet's spark, the hurt fading from his faceplate and replaced with a look of relief. Ratchet watched Orion as he held him, feeling a need to reassure himself that his sparkling was _there_.

Ratchet let out a shuddering breath, optics beginning to blur.

Orion was his.

Orion would always be his.

Ratchet shut his optics, hoping that doing so would find him some sort of peace. Orion was there. Orion was _right next to him_, but Ratchet still felt like the one he cared for most was going to be taken away.

He started drifting into a light doze, still exhausted from what Tanker had done to him, and his sparkling. Exhausted physically and emotionally. So many terrible things could have happened, and some of them did.

Orion was so close to watching his caretaker die. Ratchet knew that the sparkling wouldn't have been able to handle that. It would break him. It would _break_ him, and Tanker was aware that Ratchet knew that fact. What better way to hurt another than to make one that other cared about suffer?

Primus _slaggit_.

Ratchet hated himself so much. How could he have let Orion get involved in something that wasn't his fault? Orion had been hurt so many times, and not once did he _ever_ deserve it. He didn't deserve to be sick, he didn't deserve to be locked away in a Medical Canter, he didn't deserve to be given such a burden at such a young age.

He didn't deserve to be a defective.

And somehow, Ratchet felt like that was his fault. As if the little spark found long ago had left the Well because of something he had done. As if he had been the reason everything had happened. It wasn't completely unbelievable to him. Ratchet had failed to save Skylight, and Tanker had killed so many. Those at the refueling station, Oiltrack, Sorter, Rooter, just to get his revenge against him. Just because of one incident, did so many others occur. And Ratchet had started it all. The one who failed in the first place. Ratchet had lost so many.

Ratchet couldn't think of any reason how Orion's state could be his fault, but just the thought of it made his spark ache. But Ratchet wouldn't let it ache any longer. Orion was _safe_. Orion was still there. Ratchet didn't have a reason to hurt. Orion was _still with him_, and Orion was _all he had left_.

Ratchet had just begun slipping deeper into recharge, when he heard the door open. Ratchet didn't bother to acknowledge whoever entered. It was probably Voltlock, or an assistant medic coming to check up on him. Ratchet didn't really care, because of his lack of energy, or perhaps because he was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. Ratchet remained still and silent, expecting whoever entered to leave in a Klik or so.

The door wasn't closing.

Slightly annoyed at having his rest interrupted, Ratchet opened his optics and looked over to the entranceway.

Ratchet's optics widened, and were it not for the sparkling recharging in his arms, he would have snapped into a sitting position and yelled. "_Motor?_"

Motor nodded his greeting, and didn't even get a chance to speak before Ratchet started up again.

"You're-" Ratchet couldn't seem to find words to use. "Where- How did you-"

"Tanker attacked me after you entered the Guilds," Motor explained, almost in an attempt to calm Ratchet down. "He left me in one of Kaon's Medical Centers. I only just woke from stasis lock a Meta-cycle ago, and even then I had to go through recovery treatment."

Tanker? Kaon? _Attacked?_ It took Ratchet a moment to understand what had been said. Tanker had tried to kill Motor. Why would Tanker have tried to kill Motor? He had nothing to do with what had happened to Skylight. Ratchet wondered if he misheard. Why would Motor have been attacked?

Wait.

Recovery treatment?

Ratchet noticed something he hadn't before, something that made him gasp sharply, though quietly.

Motor had braces on both of his legs, and they were obviously permanent. He was forced to wear them if he wanted to stand. Tanker had clearly destroyed some major systems in Motor's joints. Were he treated in the Protihex Medical Center, he would have most likely been fully healed and have a complete recovery. But Motor hadn't been in Protihex. He had been in Kaon, and despite that area containing the most injured out of all of Cybertron, they had the worst Medical system on the planet. Because he was treated in Kaon, his legs were repaired very sloppily, and in a way that crippled him.

Motor wasn't going to be able to walk on his own ever again.

"How did you..." Ratchet trailed off for a Klik, then looked Motor in the optics. "How did you _survive?_"

Motor frowned, though it was barely noticeable. "He said that I helped him by telling him who killed his bondmate. So, he decided to let me live."

Ratchet's faceplate went completely blank. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, though he could assume that it was because he was still so tired. Motor had told Tanker that he killed Skylight? No. Considering Tanker's state of mind, Motor probably said that Ratchet was treating her, and Tanker took that as murder. But Tanker had let Motor live. That meant there had to have been something good left in his spark.

It was too late for that. Tanker was dead. Even if he was still alive, it had been so long since then. Any goodness inside of Tanker could have easily been lost in that length of time.

But Ratchet would never know if it had been or not.

Motor watched Orion thoughtfully, and spoke in a way that was more like a statement than a question. "That's the spark, isn't it?"

Ratchet blinked, then glanced down to Orion, who was still recharging soundly. Ratchet nodded. "Yes."

Motor said nothing for a Klik, then he replied assuredly. "I'm glad I didn't extinguish it."

Ratchet also took a moment to respond. Then he spoke, without a doubt in his voice. "As am I."

Silence returned, though it only lasted briefly before the door opened again, and a fuming Voltlock entered the room. Ratchet stared at him with an optic ridge raised. The sound of the door opening caused the sparkling to stir. Orion's optics fluttered open, and he let out a click as he glanced up to Ratchet before looking over to Voltlock. Voltlock locked optics with Ratchet.

"The Guilds want to speak to you," Voltlock said almost spitefully. Ratchet didn't blame him, and if he had the energy to be angry he most certainly would be. They had permitted Tanker to take Orion away. Even though he was upset with the Guilds, Ratchet knew that it was unreasonable to blame them. The Guilds couldn't possibly have known. While they decided a Cybertronians fate, that did not necessarily mean that they kept tabs on one at all times. As Voltlock had said, Cybertron was a big place.

Orion looked back to Ratchet, slightly fearful. "Are you going away again?"

Ratchet quickly tried to calm his sparkling. "It's alright. I'll be back soon."

"You said that before," Orion protested, growing more desperate. "You said you'd be back, and you _didn't come back_."

"Orion, listen to me," Ratchet said, slowly sitting up on the berth. "No one is going to hurt me. I'll come back. I _promise_."

Orion watched Ratchet, still looking very worried, but he nodded. He knew that his caretaker didn't make promises he couldn't keep. With that, Orion carefully got off of Ratchet and hopped onto the floor.

Ratchet tried to get up so he could get on his way, but when he tried to stand, he found his limbs couldn't support him and he fell back onto the berth with a groan. He closed his optics in exasperation, only to reopen them when he felt a hand on his. Ratchet looked down to see Orion watching him with a smile.

"It's okay," Orion said, tilting his head slightly. "I'll help you walk again."

Orion pulled at Ratchet's hand, and Ratchet knew that the sparkling did not have enough strength to lift him. Ratchet tried harder for him, placing his free hand onto the berth to keep balance. It took much longer than it should have, but Ratchet stood, though he had to use all of his strength to do so. Orion looked very happy, and that only strengthened Ratchet's resolve to remain upright.

Orion held his caretaker's hand, gently pulling him forward. Ratchet's first steps were slow, but as his systems became used to the action, it became easier and easier to keep going. By the time they reached the doorway, Ratchet was walking as if he hadn't been injured in the first place.

Voltlock was clearly trying very hard not to laugh, while Motor watched the scene with mild amusement. Ratchet rolled his optics at both of them.

Orion looked up at his caretaker with happiness, before letting out another click and rubbing his optics. Ratchet smiled lightly and picked up the sleepy sparkling. Ratchet walked over to Voltlock and placed Orion in his arms. Orion watched Ratchet tiredly as his caretaker turned back to the doorway and walked through, beginning to make his way down the halls.

Other medics glanced at Ratchet, though they never spoke to him. They were not looking resentful or angry. They looked rather repentful for assuming that their fellow medic had done such terrible things to a sparkling. But they did not apologize, and Ratchet never expected them to. Ratchet quickly found himself at the Medical Center exit, and he left.

The path Ratchet followed was familiar to him. He didn't hesitate, because he already knew he was going in the right direction. He soon reached the door, the entrance to the Guilds of Cybertron. The door slid open silently, and the tunnel was as dark as it had ever been. Ratchet stepped inside, and found it to no surprise that the doorway closed behind him.

It seemed brighter than it was the last time he walked through, the light at the end of the tunnel glowing vibrantly. The clocks and buzzes of metal in the walls were almost nonexistent. Ratchet didn't think too much about it. He was more concerned about what the Guilds wanted from him.

Ratchet saw the doorway that lead to the main chamber. The guard who stood in front of it gave Ratchet a calm nod of acknowledgement, before opening the door without asking for identification. Ratchet said nothing, only stepping into the opened door, which shut behind him.

The room seemed lighter than it was before. Ratchet's steps slowed, but he continued forward until he was standing in the center of the room.

The Guilds of Cybertron looked down at him, waiting for a moment before one of them began to speak.

"Do you know why you have been summoned?" The Guild Member questioned, voice stern.

Ratchet felt nervous. He didn't like the feeling of what was going on. But he could not deny the Guilds. Ratchet waited, then replied. "I do not."

No one said anything for a long while. The Guilds of Cybertron watched Ratchet, and Ratchet didn't know what they were waiting for, but he feared that it would be very bad. The last thing the Guilds had done for him hadn't been for the best. They had tried to take away the only thing that really mattered to him. So what if they were the ones who gave Ratchet the position in the first place. They had tried to remove it.

Ratchet didn't know what the Guilds had prepared for him, and he didn't know if he would make it through.

"Recent events lead us to believe," A Guild Member finally spoke, voice deep and devoid of emotion. "That you are fit to resume your position as caretaker of Orion Pax."

Ratchet stared in disbelief, unsure if he heard what he thought and desperately hoped he heard. He was officially Orion's caretaker again. The Guilds weren't going to remove custody. Were he not in the presence of Cybertronians of such a high class, Ratchet would have certainly laughed with joy.

Orion was _his_.

"Tanker was damaged beyond repair, and so the Guilds are unable to provide a punishment for his crimes." The Guilds continued. They were clearly not taking any blame for what had happened, which annoyed Ratchet greatly, but he knew that saying anything about it would get _him_ punished. They might have taken Orion away right then and there.

That was something Ratchet just couldn't handle.

"Orion Pax will remain in your care until we deem it is time for relocation," Another Guild Member spoke, but Ratchet was too pleased to really understand what had just been said.

Ratchet wasn't going to lose the one he cared for most.

The members of the Guilds were satisfied with the meeting, and the door behind Ratchet opened up again. Ratchet was more than happy to get out of there and head back to the Medical Center. He walked out of the room, passing the guard, and began making his way back through the passage.

The buzzing in the walls had gone completely silent. The tunnel was full of light. As Ratchet walked forward, he could see that the door was already open. With an optic ridge raised, Ratchet stepped through, then he stopped.

Orion stood in front of the entranceway, watching Ratchet calmly. Voltlock looked very sheepish behind the sparkling, and Motor was just waiting to see what would unfold. Ratchet gave Voltlock an unimpressed look before walking up to the sparkling who had been left waiting for him again.

"Orion?" Ratchet started, kneeling down onto the ground. The sparkling said nothing, just looking at his caretaker. Ratchet smiled softly. "They're not going to take you away anymore."

Orion's entire faceplate brightened at those words, and with a laugh he ran into his caretaker's arms. He was so happy. They weren't going to leave each other again. They weren't going to hurt anymore. Orion nuzzled into Ratchet's chest, and Ratchet embraced him, holding his sparkling tightly and vowing never to let go again.

Finally, everything was alright.


	15. Chapter 14

It was quiet.

The Medical Center was rather empty, which was a relief for medics and assistants alike. Ratchet was given a few Orbital Cycles off to recuperate, which meant that he had a bit of a break. He didn't remember really having a break before. If Voltlock hadn't practically forced him to settle down for a little while, Ratchet would most certainly be working, even if there wasn't a lot to do.

Motor had been reinstated into the Medical Center. He wasn't letting his state stop him from doing what he had been trained to do. Voltlock had met him only a few Orbital Cycles after Ratchet had been found. They seemed to get along just fine, and after Ratchet had woken up they went to get a cube of high grade together. They invited Ratchet, but he decided that after everything, he would rather spend time with his sparkling.

Ratchet and Orion walked down the hallway towards the Medical Quarters, side by side. They said nothing as they walked, just content being in each other's presence. They were together again. Finally, Orion was there to stay.

Ratchet wasn't going to let him go ever again.

They soon found themselves facing the entrance to their quarters. Ratchet looked down to Orion for a brief Klik. Then, he opened the door. It opened without a fuss, and Ratchet could soon see the interior, looking undisturbed, the exact same as it had been left.

Orion giggled with excitement, almost running into the room. He glanced over everything as if he hadn't been there in an Eon. He had been in there while Ratchet was in stasis, but he had been alone. He wasn't alone any longer. Ratchet was back, and he was in the room again. Orion quickly went to Ratchet and took his hand, gently tugging his caretaker into the room, careful not to hurt him. Ratchet let himself be led inside and to Orion's berth, sitting down as the sparkling crawled up onto it.

Everything was alright. Everything was _finally_ alright. It was hard for Ratchet to believe that nothing was wrong, that nothing was happening to them anymore, that there was actually a moment of _peace_. It almost seemed strange, and would have if not for the fact that Ratchet was so _happy_.

He hadn't been that happy in a long time. There were short moments of joy, such as when he listened to Orion's stories, but everything that had happened with the Guilds and Tanker and almost being pulled apart, there was rarely a time where something bad wasn't happening at the same time, just lingering in the background waiting to make itself known.

But everything was alright. Orion had begun going on about what he had done while looking for Ratchet, about how he met many interesting mechs, how he traveled around Cybertron all on his own, how he went outside for the first time. Ratchet wished that the event had been under better circumstances, but Orion was still happy about it. Ratchet would be happy about it, too. Orion went _outside_.

Voltlock entered silently and placed two cubes of Energon on the desk, one much smaller than the other, then left without a word. Orion drank his quickly, finishing much faster than Ratchet, wanting to continue his stories for as long as they possibly could.

They did not mention Tanker, or the fact that Ratchet had been taken. Only about the things Orion had learned and seen. The mechs whose names were on the datapad. Ratchet quickly connected them to the events through what Orion told him, but he did not bring that up. It was over.

After a few Joors Orion had managed to tire himself out again. He had already napped a few times earlier, but Ratchet could understand how Orion would still be exhausted after everything. Ratchet moved to his own berth, shutting off the lights as he passed them. He set himself down on his own berth, looking towards his sparkling, who was already recharging on his own.

Ratchet let himself rest, too.

* * *

He felt strange.

Orion slowly onlined his optics. It was dark. He could barely see the ceiling above him. He waited for a moment to remember why he woke, but he couldn't find a reason. He closed his optics.

* * *

He felt _strange_.

Orion woke up again, but he did not open his optics. He could hear his caretaker's slow, even breathing from the other side of the room. Suddenly Orion wanted Ratchet. He didn't understand why. He didn't want to bother Ratchet so late, or perhaps early. Orion didn't know. He wasn't going to go into the halls and look out a window. Ratchet could wake up and wonder where he was. Maybe he should wake him up and tell him. But he didn't want to wake him up. But he really wanted Ratchet.

Orion onlined his optics again, and though it was brighter inside of the room, he could barely see the ceiling above him. He waited for a moment to remember why he woke, but he couldn't find a reason.

But he _really_ wanted Ratchet.

Orion tried to sit up, but felt that he couldn't move. His limbs felt so weak.

But he needed Ratchet.

Orion used all of his strength to sit up, and he practically fell off of the berth, face down on the floor. He pushed himself to his knees. He felt to dizzy.

_He needed Ratchet._

Orion tried to speak, but no words would come out. His vision began to darken around the edges. Without any time to panic over what was going on, all the Energon he had ingested quickly made it's way out of his mouth and onto the floor as he purged.

Ratchet woke with a jolt at what sounded like choking. He sat up rapidly and looked over to Orion's berth. The sparkling wasn't there. Ratchet was just about to throw a fit of worry, after what had just happened with Tanker, but even as he looked down and saw his sparkling safe and sound, he couldn't bring himself to feel any better about the situation.

Energon was spilled all over the floor. Orion knelt over the puddle, practically gasping to vent his systems. He was shivering, just like he did when he was younger. When he was colder than he should have been.

Orion was cold again.

Ratchet was immediately at his charge's side, a gentle hand on Orion's back as the sparkling continued to shake.

"I'm sorry," Orion whispered, clutching his sides as he took another shaky breath. Ratchet quickly shushed him, helping him stand. Orion coughed lightly, almost falling back down, but Ratchet caught him before he could hit the ground.

Ratchet started an uplink, and didn't wait for the Cybertronian answering his call to speak. "Voltlock, can you bring a cube of Energon to my quarters?"

"_Can't you do that on your own?_" Voltlock asked, voice groggy. Apparently he had been woken by the uplink. "_I know you're recovering, but I didn't say I'd give you Energon in your berth._"

"Voltlock, _please_," Ratchet persisted, sounding quite annoyed.

There was a mumble on the other end of the uplink before Voltlock disconnected. Ratchet took that as a 'yes'. But he didn't focus on that for very long.

"Orion?" Ratchet said quietly. After getting no response, Ratchet tilted Orion's head upwards so he was looking at him. Ratchet frowned. "Orion, are you alright?"

He obviously wasn't, and Ratchet knew it, but he had to ask. Orion didn't answer at first, then with a small whimper he shook his head. Ratchet carefully picked Orion up into his arms, knowing he was getting covered in Energon but not caring in the slightest. He spend the next few Kliks waiting for his fellow medic by letting his sparkling know that everything was alright.

Voltlock entered the shared quarters, and was clearly stunned by the sight. He shook his helm lightly to focus himself, then, avoiding the spilt Energon, gave Ratchet the cube he requested. Ratchet paused for a moment, then placed the cube down on the desk. "I'm going to wash him off first. It will give his systems a chance to settle down."

Voltlock nodded in understanding. "I'll clean up here. Take your time."

Ratchet said nothing, walking out of the room, still holding Orion close. The door shut behind them, and Voltlock started working.

Voltlock had finished cleaning the room just as Ratchet returned, carrying an exhausted Orion against his chest. The sparkling looked absolutely miserable. Though Orion wasn't covered in his own Energon, he still didn't look any better than before. Ratchet sent Voltlock a nod of thanks as he sat down on Orion's berth, and Voltlock decided that he should take his leave, exiting the room and letting the caretaker and his sparkling spend time alone.

Ratchet reached over and picked up the Energon Cube, shifting Orion just enough to wake him up and sit him upright. Orion glanced up to Ratchet in uncertainty before the medic brought the cube to his hands. Orion took it, and after a moment he began to drink. He was slow, but Ratchet was going to be patient. In another situation he might have told Orion to hurry up, but not then. He would be patient for Orion.

Orion finished the cube, and Ratchet set it aside as the sparkling buried his head into his caretaker's chest. Ratchet stood up, gently laying Orion down as he had before. Ratchet returned to his own berth, waiting for his sparkling to drift off again. He tried to think of a reason for what had just occurred.

A Cybertronian rarely purged their tanks unless they were damaged, or received an extremely volatile supply, but even the latter was unlikely to forcibly leave their systems. Ratchet scanned Orion from where he sat, the light as red as it always was on him, and the damage results came back negative. Ratchet frowned, not because he wanted Orion to be hurt, but because he didn't know what else could have caused his sparkling to be sick. Perhaps the Energon _had_ been volatile.

But Ratchet had Energon from the same stockpile. They might have come from the same place, or all from different areas. Ratchet stood up and made his way out of the room, giving Orion one last glance before exiting. He was going to speak with whoever was working the stockpile and ask them what they knew.

* * *

Orion couldn't seem to keep any Energon down.

He spent most of his time recharging, rarely waking of his own accord, and even if he did it was to turn and purge into the container placed on the floor next to his berth. After it happened the third time, Ratchet stopped having Energon cubes brought in, instead having an intravenous drip hooked up to Orion's chest. It wouldn't replace the Energon that remained in him. He would never purge all of it. The drip would his give him what he needed.

But that didn't help at all.

Energon still found its way purged into the container, which had to be emptied time and time again from filling up much faster than anticipated. Ratchet was concerned after the first time, but when it happened again and again he began to feel dread. He had expected that. Since Orion was placed in his care, Ratchet had expected that to happen.

When Orion was first placed in his care, Ratchet already knew that the sparkling was unlikely to survive. When he grew fond of him, Ratchet didn't want to believe that it would actually happen. Orion was a defective. He was _infected_. It wasn't as if he could just receive a cure and be fixed. His spark was infected. His _being_ was infected. That wasn't something that could be _cured_.

Ratchet sat on his berth, watching over his recharging sparkling. It was quiet again, but this silence wasn't pleasant. It was not even completely silent. Orion's labored breaths could only be heard because Ratchet wasn't making a sound. He had been sitting there for a while, just thinking. Thinking about everything.

How could it have gotten to that point? He had been only a simple medical assistant, just doing what he was told. Then Cybertronians died, and one was sparked.

And then Orion was ill.

It wasn't the Energon. All of the Energon came from a mine in Kaon, and none of it had been tainted. That left Ratchet at a blank. He didn't know what the problem was, and he _didn't know what he could do_.

The door opened, but Ratchet didn't look up. He already knew who had entered. There was only one mech who ever did, at least of his own accord.

Voltlock walked over to his fellow medic, stopping a few steps away. "Ratchet."

Ratchet didn't respond. Not because he didn't hear Voltlock, but because he had nothing to say.

Voltlock's frown deepened, and he looked over to the sparkling laying on the berth. "How is he?"

Ratchet didn't answer at first, making sure that Orion was still in recharge. Then, he spoke. "Worse."

Orion was worse. Much, much worse. Almost as bad as when Tanker had tampered with his spark monitor. But that was only because Ratchet didn't know. Ratchet knew now, and it was even _worse_.

Ratchet had spent his time thinking about what could have happened to cause such a reaction in Orion's spark. It took him so long to realize it. It should have been obvious. He had warned Orion not to do it since he could understand what he was told. Ratchet understood why, and the reason why made Ratchet feel like it was his fault.

Ratchet had been taken. Orion's caretaker had been taken away. There was no doubt that Orion would to anything to keep Ratchet from getting hurt. Orion told Ratchet about how he saw Cybertron. He saw Protihex, he saw Iacon, he saw Kaon. He saw roads and the Monorail, the mines and the Hall of Records. He _left_. He went _outside_.

He went outside. Orion was not strong enough for that. His systems couldn't handle any of that, not then. His immune system was not yet developed. He wouldn't be strong enough to hold off a minor glitch, let alone a _virus_. That had been why Ratchet was so worried when Orion disappear all those Solar Cycles ago. Going outside could _kill _him.

_And he went outside._

Ratchet tried not to show how worried he was, though he failed miserably. His voice was quiet as he spoke. "How was he? While I was in stasis. Did he show any symptoms this severe?"

"No. He seemed fine," Voltlock mused, crossing his arms in thought. "He didn't show any signs of this. I mean, he coughed once or twice. He said that it was normal and- frag, I am such a _fool_. I should have _scanned_ him, slaggit."

Ratchet quickly shushed him, not only because of Voltlock's poor choice of words. He gestured to Orion's berth, where his little sparkling was waking up from recharge. Ratchet anticipated to see if Orion would roll over and purge into the container again, but Orion just onlined his optics and looked up to him tiredly. Voltlock quickly made his leave again, knowing that it would be best if those who lived in the shared quarters spent time alone.

Orion smiled with exhausted relief. "I'm feeling much better now."

Ratchet returned the smile, standing up and kneeling next to Orion's berth. He over to gently caress his sparkling's cheek. Orion was still so cold. Ratchet's smile faded slightly, and he pulled away.

Orion watched Ratchet stand up and look over the machinery that was hooked up to him, his smile not fading at all. Orion always felt better whenever Ratchet was around, both physically and emotionally. He was glad that he caretaker stayed with him, though he had to admit he felt like a burden. Ratchet probably had patients to attend to, but he was stuck with one. Orion began to wonder if he was only going to be a patient to Ratchet, but he already knew that wasn't true.

Orion had to admit that he felt that being what he was, something that shouldn't be, was only making him hurt Ratchet. He didn't want to hurt Ratchet, not ever, but because he had to be cared for so extensively, Orion wondered if there was anything he could do to make things easier, and a reason for _why_.

Orion voiced a question that had been plaguing him since he knew what he was.

"Ratchet?" Orion asked quietly, gaining his caretaker's attention. Orion tilted his head innocently. "Am I sick because I'm a defective?"

Ratchet was shocked. He had never told Orion that he was a defective. Ratchet hadn't known that Orion even _knew_. And the fact that Ratchet only just found that out left his processor blank and he had _absolutely no idea what to say_. Orion noticed this, and he continued speaking.

"I know that's why you wouldn't let me go outside, or be alone for too long," Orion said with a light shrug. "I read that defectives are supposed to die."

Ratchet never wanted Orion to know. Orion was a defective, but it wasn't his fault. He was sparked with his defects. There was nothing he could do. He could have been offlined because of something he had no control over. It wasn't Ratchet's fault either, yet he still felt terrible about it.

"It's okay," Orion smiled, weaker than before, but still strong. "I'm Cybertronian, and I know that sometimes other's don't treat me like I am, but that's because they don't understand."

Ratchet remained silent, unsure of what to say.

"I know I'm wrong, but that's alright." Orion said, and he nodded to his caretaker, his smile not leaving his faceplate. "Thank you for caring about me."

Orion knew that he was a defective. He knew that he was wrong, and he accepted that. A mech once told him that there was nothing wrong with being wrong, and he was right. He was still a Cybertronian, just like the rest of them. They just didn't like things that were different. Defectives, the higher and lower Guilds. If he had the chance, Orion would want to help them understand.

Ratchet stayed where he was, processing everything that he had just been told. Orion accepted that he was sick. He accepted that he was _hated_. Orion wasn't hated. The Guilds didn't even know Orion well enough _to_ hate him. The Guilds wanted to fix what they felt was broken. Ratchet just wanted Orion to be cured, but he felt that wasn't going to happen.

Ratchet had scanned Orion again and again, but there were no new viruses inside of him. He knew the effects of so many infections and that any one of them could have ended up harming his sparkling, but nothing known appeared on the scans.

Something suddenly clicked inside of Ratchet's processor.

Ratchet had known. Orion's immune system was weaker than the rest. Going outside could kill him, and it _might_, but that wasn't the point. Ratchet scanned Orion before. There was no known virus inside of him. The only unknown virus was the one that was already _in him_.

The infection had never spread to his Energon before. That wasn't what the infection _did_. It had to have been triggered, and Ratchet already knew the trigger.

Orion's systems couldn't handle being outside. The Energon that flowed through him when he was outside, that Energon became infected. The infected Energon never left his system. It remained inside, tainting all Energon that came into it's stream. That was why he couldn't stop purging. His systems were trying so hard to expel the infection, but he couldn't survive without Energon, so the infection remained.

Ratchet knew what to do.

Ratchet began to swiftly walk out of the room, only looking back to speak to his sparkling. "Stay here."

Orion did as told, though even if he wanted to leave he was in no shape to do so. Orion waited for a few Kliks, and Ratchet returned with tubes and wires and a machine that Orion didn't recognize. Ratchet placed them all on the desk, and he began to put them together. He finished, and then he came up to Orion, removing the intravenous drip and replacing it with one of the tubes attached to the machine.

"This will circulate your systems to rid you of any infected Energon and replace it with already filtered Energon," Ratchet summarized, activating the machine as it began to do its work. He turned to Orion. "You just need to rest."

And even that might not have been enough.

Orion nodded, then reached over to pick up his datapad, deciding to spend the time reading, at least for a Joor or two.

With that, Ratchet sat back down on his berth, placing his head in his hands. There was a chance. There was a chance that his sparkling would survive. But it still might not have been enough. Ratchet wanted Orion to get well so badly that all he could think about was everything getting worse. That was how it had been for the longest time, and he wanted it to _stop_.

"Ratchet?" Orion asked softly, gaining Ratchet's attention. Ratchet looked up, and saw that the smile Orion had was gone. His optics were shining a gentle blue as he looked to his caretaker. "Am I going to die?"

The question caught Ratchet completely off guard, and he froze. He hadn't expected that question at _all_. Ratchet knew that Orion seemed very wise for how long he had functioned, but he never thought that he would truly _understand_. Yet, there he was, laying on his berth and waiting patiently for a response, and it was not why Ratchet had been so shocked.

But Orion had asked that so _calmly_.

And that upset Ratchet more than anything else.

"Don't you _ever_ say that again," Ratchet scolded, voice quickly rising, sounding very accusing. "Don't you ever act like it's _alright_ for you to offline. Don't act like it doesn't _matter_. It most certainly _does_ matter. Did you think that no one would _care_?"

Orion slowly looked away, a soft, sad expression on his faceplate, and for that Ratchet quickly found another reason to hate himself. Ratchet wasn't angry with Orion in the slightest. He was just...

The procedure was risky. Ratchet knew that. Orion knew that. That was probably why Orion had asked that question. Orion's systems would be cleansed of the infected Energon that ran through his veins, but that would not cleanse the infection itself. It wasn't that simple. Orion was sparked with his defects. Ratchet didn't know if they would ever truly go away.

Ratchet was afraid. Orion was the most important thing to him. He didn't want to _lose _him.

With an exasperated breath, Ratchet sat down on the edge of his sparkling's berth. He wasn't sure if Orion understood his meaning. Orion _mattered_. If his spark extinguished, others would care. Voltlock would care. Motor would care. The sorter would have cared. The Guilds of Cybertron would care, but not in that way, so Ratchet refused to include them. Ratchet. Ratchet would care. Ratchet would most _definitely_ care. Orion _meant something _to him, and Ratchet knew it would hurt to see his sparkling go. It would hurt so much.

"Ratchet?"

Orion's voice pulled Ratchet from his thoughts. Blinking, he turned to his sparkling and waited for him to continue.

"I was wondering..." Orion trailed off for a Klik, tapping his fingers on the datapad in his grasp. Then, he held the datapad to his caretaker with both hands. "Will you read me story?"

Ratchet wanted to say yes. He desperately wanted to say yes, but his vocalizer wouldn't function properly.

Ratchet remembered when he didn't remember. When he didn't remember Skylight. When Orion used his datapad to see everything that was hidden from him while he was trapped in the Medical Center. He read stories. That was how he learned all he knew. Ratchet would listen to Orion as the sparkling told his caretaker about things he found fascinating. Back when everything was alright. Just spending time together.

Just like they always did.

And might never do again.

"No," Ratchet answered abruptly, turning back to the doorway and walking out, the door slamming shut behind him.

He just needed a moment. Just a moment. He needed to think, even if just for a Klik. Slaggit, he was getting too emotional. He didn't know what to do. Knowing that his sparkling could drop dead at any moment was sending Ratchet to his breaking point. He didn't want to make Orion upset but if he didn't leave that room right then and there he knew he was going to lose it.

"_I fragging saw that._"

Ratchet turned around to see Voltlock staring at him disbelievingly. Ratchet quickly brought up whatever composure he had left and watched Voltlock with a raised optic ridge. "What?"

"I saw how you just treated Orion," Voltlock answered, glaring. "What in the Pit made you do that, Ratchet? I could hear you from out here. All he wanted was for you to read with him and you just _shun_ him for it? He doesn't _deserve_ that."

Ratchet frowned. He knew that what he did had been wrong, and he felt bad about it, but hearing about what he did made him feel even worse. Orion _didn't _deserve that. Orion had done nothing _wrong_. Ratchet didn't make any move to defend himself, as he did exactly what had been said, but Voltlock continued.

"The kid is _dying_, and you're just standing around and waiting for it to happen," Voltlock pressed, and though he wished he said what he had said in a different way, he continued. "He might _offline_, Ratchet."

Ratchet said nothing for a long moment. Then, looking directly into his fellow medic's optics, his voice went quiet and he looked so very tired. "I know."

Voltlock's expression softened even more so, and his posture became slightly more slouched. He took a long, slow breath and let it out in the same length of time. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but there's nothing you can do besides care for him as best as you can."

Ratchet nodded slowly, and Voltlock returned the gesture sympathetically before turning back and heading through the halls. Ratchet chose to do so as well. It would be something to pass the time while his sparkling was being treated. If anything were to happen, Ratchet would be alerted wirelessly by the monitor.

Ratchet decided to spend his time attending to his patients throughout the Medical Center. He acted just as he normally would have. In any situation what he would have done before, he did. The other medics in the Medical Center did not speak to him, just as they had not before, but that was only because they had been asked not to by Voltlock. Ratchet didn't need a reminder of what had happened, and what was still happening.

Ratchet walked down the halls towards one of the examination rooms. The patient who was in there had apparently been waiting for a while. Ratchet expected whoever it was to be annoyed about it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He reached the door, which opened silently and Ratchet walked in, though he paused after a few steps after he saw a familiar looking mech seated on a berth.

That mech came back _again?_

"Hello, Ratchet!" The old mech said with a grin.

Ratchet could clearly see that rust was covering the mech's leg again, but had spread farther than before. He ignored the old mech's greeting an instead began a scan of his patient's limb.

The old mech shook his head. "The rust is more stubborn than before, I'm afraid. It just found it's way into my joints, and the oil bath did nothing for it."

Ratchet nodded to show he had heard as he finished the scan. He read over the results, stared at them for a moment, before letting out an exasperated breath. "How often have you been taking an oil bath?"

"I'm not sure," The mech replied, pausing to think. "I believe every few Joors."

Ratchet huffed, as if the answer was obvious. "The rust is forming because you're bathing_ far _too frequently. You only need to once every Orbital Cycle or so."

"Oh, I should have known!" The mech said with a chuckle, and he stood up off of the berth. His laughter quieted down and he looked at Ratchet with a smile. "And how is your little sparkling?"

Ratchet stopped cold.

He had managed to stop himself from thinking about Orion while he was working, knowing that if he started worrying about his charge he would _never stop_. Then that old mech had to show up and just make Ratchet feel even worse about the whole thing by bringing it up and that _hurt_.

"That is _none of your concern_," Ratchet said, with much more force than necessary. The old mech didn't seem to notice, still looking as cheerful as before.

"I met him again, you know," The old mech continued, as if recalling a fond memory. "He was looking for you. Asked me about some other Cybertronians, too. I didn't know any of them, but I was able to help your little sparkling find his way outside."

Ratchet could have been angry. Ratchet could have blamed the old mech for Orion's state if he felt inclined to do so, but he didn't. It wasn't the old mech's fault. Even if he hadn't given Orion directions, the sparkling would have found a way out on his own. Instead, Ratchet slouched slightly, looking very somber.

The old mech seemed to notice that, and he instantly calmed himself down. He did nothing for a moment, then placed a hand on the medic's shoulder. "I don't know what's troubling you, but don't fret. It'll turn out fine."

Ratchet glanced to him, surprised to hear that from the same mech that thought taking a bath every couple of Joors was a good idea. Ratchet did not reply, not thanking or anything, but the old mech felt that wasn't needed, and he turned to walk out of the room, leaving Ratchet alone again. Ratchet remained in that room for almost a Breem before he left as well.

He continued treating Cybertronians, mechs and femmes, Gladiators and Miners, whoever needed his attention. He did not see them inferior to another. They were all Cybertronian. His little sparkling taught him that.

After working for nearly half an Orbital Cycle and feeling the exhaustion from it, Ratchet decided it would be best to return to the Medical Quarters and check over Orion. The machine should have finished its work by then.

Ratchet felt dread. He knew that his wireless connection to the monitor would alert him if anything was wrong, but it hadn't before, and while that was because it had been tampered with, Ratchet was still terrified of walking into his shared quarters and finding his sparkling laying lifeless on his berth. The thought alone hurt, but actually happening would hurt even worse.

Ratchet soon found himself facing his quarters. He hesitated. If his sparkling was offline, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

But Orion might have needed him. Orion might have needed Ratchet to be there with him, and if that was the case, then Ratchet would be there, no matter what.

The door opened and Ratchet stepped into the room, spotting Orion sitting up, reading from his datapad. Orion heard the door opened and he looked up, seeing his caretaker standing in the doorway. Orion smiled, placing the datapad aside and watching Ratchet intently. He looked better than _ever_.

"How are you doing?" Ratchet asked quietly.

Orion seemed to stop and think about it for a moment before replying. "I'm alright."

That was all Ratchet needed to hear for him to relax, even just barely. He walked over to his sparkling's berth, turning off the machine and removing the hook from Orion's chest. Then, Ratchet took a seat at the end of Orion's berth, looking over his charge as he did so.

Freed from the machine, Orion crawled over to his caretaker sitting next to him with his legs dangling over the edge. He looked up to Ratchet, and they met optics, before Ratchet turned away and glanced over the spark monitor, which beeped steadily. Orion noticed that Ratchet looked so tired, but more emotionally than physically. Orion looked over his caretaker with a tilt of his head. "Ratchet?"

Ratchet turned back to his sparkling with an optic ridge raised. "Yes?"

Orion watched Ratchet with concern. "Are _you_ alright?"

Ratchet blinked, then looked back to what he was doing. "Of course I am."

Orion eyed Ratchet carefully before speaking again. "Are you sure?"

Ratchet paused, returning his attention to the sparkling who was waiting for an answer. Ratchet wasn't sure. He didn't know enough to be sure.

He would only be alright in he knew for certain.

Ratchet wanted to check one last thing.

Ratchet stood up, facing the berth where Orion rested. His forearm shifted, revealing his scanner. He almost didn't want to check, because he was concerned that he might have failed again, but he knew that he had to. Hardening his spark, he let the light of his scanner trail across Orion's frame.

Ratchet almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. The results of the scan, they were the same as they had always been, but the light was blue.

Perhaps Orion was cured. Ratchet hoped that Orion was cured. He couldn't tell for certain. But the light was blue.

Ratchet didn't know what to think. Orion couldn't have been cured. He was born defective. That could never be cured, but no other defective had survived long enough to actually figure out if that was true. Perhaps the infection transferred itself into the Energon. Perhaps cleansing the Energon cleansed the infection itself. Perhaps the infection wasn't really gone, just tamed. Ratchet didn't know, and he didn't believe he would ever know.

Orion was a defective. Orion was born a defective, and he would forever be a defective, but he was cured.

Orion started out weaker than the rest, but he would grow up stronger.

_Orion was alright._

"Ratchet?"

The caretaker looked to his sparkling, who watched him with glowing optics. He looked hopeful, wondering why Ratchet was finally happy after everything. For once, Ratchet was the one who hugged Orion, leaving the sparkling surprised. Ratchet laughed in a mixture of relief and happiness. Orion returned the laugh, happy himself because his caretaker was. Ratchet held Orion close, telling him something that he had been wanting to tell him for so long.

"You're alright."


End file.
